Niang: Veteran Senegalese international striker Mamadou Niang yesterday left French champions Marseille for Turkey’s Fenerbahce on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. “My transfer was hard for both clubs but we finally reached agreement,” Niang said.
Davies: Simon Davies has signed a new three-year contract at Fulham. The 30-year-old midfielder, who retired from international football with Wales earlier this month, is now tied to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2013. Davies, who joined Fulham from Everton in January 2006, was hampered by a foot injury last term and contract talks were put on hold until he proved his fitness.
Garay: Real Madrid have confirmed central defender Ezequiel Garay has dislocated his right kneecap. The Argentinian is expected to be out for at least eight weeks after an MRI scan clarified the problem, while revealing no further damage was suffered to ligaments or cartilage.
United deal: Manchester United have agreed a ground-breaking contract with Hong Kong-based telecommunications giant PCCW to become the official broadcaster of MUTV in the territory. The three-year deal will ensure United content is available on all PCCW platforms, including website and mobile, which the club feel will be the first step towards maximising revenue.
Geovanni: Former Hull and Manchester City midfielder Geovanni will resume his career in the United States after agreeing to join the San Jose Earthquakes. Geovanni, 30, was released by Hull following their relegation from the Barclays Premier League last season, when he was the Tigers’ leading scorer with eight goals, and had been without a club.
Ligue 1: Monaco vs Auxerre 0-0.
Europa League: Third qualifying round first legs – A. Salonika vs A. Vienna 1-0; Besiktas vs HJK Helsinki 2-0.
Athletics: Belgium’s reigning champion Tia Hellebaut could be set to announce her retirement after becoming pregnant for a second time according to press reports. The 32-year-old has only just returned to competition after having her first child, daughter Lotte born on June 9 last year, and having stated her ambition was to defend the title she won in Beijing in the 2012 edition in London. Hellebaut is due to give a press conference today where she is to outline her plans for the future.
Basketball: Tracy McGrady, who has played only 65 games in the past two NBA seasons due to knee injuries, signed a one-year free agent deal with the Detroit Pistons worth 1.3 million dollars. The 31-year-old guard struggled last season in 24 games for the New York Knicks, averaging only 9.4 points as a starter after averaging 22.1 points a game in 12 prior NBA seasons.
Cycling: International sport’s top court yesterday cut a record 20-year doping ban imposed on Italian cyclist Gianni Da Ros, reducing it to four years. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said that it had partially upheld an appeal filed by Da Ros against the decision of the Anti-Doping Tribunal of Italy’s National Olympic Committee (CONI) in November 2009. The 23-year-old, who used to ride for Liquigas, was arrested during a nationwide police swoop in March 2009 and accused of trafficking doping substances.
Motor racing: Nick Heidfeld has been named the official test driver for Pirelli tyres after being released from his role as Mercedes GP test and reserve driver. Pirelli will return to Formula One for the 2011 season as the sport’s sole tyre supplier after Bridgestone decided to withdraw at the end of the current season and the German will begin testing at Mugello in Italy.