Legal action: Barcelona announced that they will be taking legal action against French daily Le Monde for alleging that the club had links to the doctor at the centre of a Spanish doping investigation. The European and Spanish champions reiterated that they had no relationship with doctor Eufemiano Fuentes who has been accused of offences against public health following raids on a number of addresses in Madrid and Zaragoza in May this year. Le Monde said it had accessed documents suggesting that Fuentes, who has collaborated with several cycling teams, had been involved in the physical preparation, including possible use of illegal substances, of the Barcelona and Real Madrid teams via their respective medical departments.
Gambling laws: Premier League clubs may lose lucrative shirt sponsorship with gambling companies under a government investigation into the legality of the partnerships. Under UK law it is illegal for gambling operators to target children with advertising and under the new Gambling Act, set to become law next September, the fines will be increased. The report says it is unclear whether the rules apply to shirt sponsorship, although clubs rely heavily on sales of replica kits, thousands of which are worn by children. Tottenham clinched a £34 million four-year deal with Mansion at the start of the season, while Aston Villa (32Red), Middlesbrough (888.com) and Blackburn Rovers (Bet24.com) are also sponsored by gambling sites.
Bulgaria: Bulgaria will take part in a four-country friendly tournament in Cyprus on February 6 and 7, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said. The host nation Cyprus meet Hungary while Bulgaria face Latvia on the first day of tournament. The winners of these games will meet in the final while the losers will play in the third-place match the following day. RIBERY: Olympique Marseille striker Franck Ribery, sidelined by a groin injury since mid-November, is expected to resume training by the end of the month, the club's coach Albert Emon said. Ribery had to pull out of France's last outing against European champions Greece last month because of the injury. The 23-year-old international started six of France's seven matches at the World Cup in June and July.
Claridge: Striker Steve Claridge was left with little to celebrate after his 1,000th game in professional soccer ended with his Bournemouth side slumping to a 4-0 defeat by third division rivals Port Vale on Saturday. Claridge, now 40 and who started his career at Bournemouth with a debut on Jan. 1 1985, signed a short-term contract with the club last week and is being paid on a match-by-match basis.
Swedish league: Sweden's first division will expand to 16 teams from 14 as of the 2008 season, the Swedish FA announced last weekend. Three teams from the second division will be promoted into the top flight at the end of next season with only one club being relegated. Elfsborg won the Swedish league in November. Stockholm club AIK were second.
Bundesliga: Played yesterday - Schalke 04 vs B. Dortmund 3-1; Wolfsburg vs A. Aachen 1-2. Leading standings - W. Bremen, Schalke 04 33; Stuttgart 31; Bayern Munich 30; Hertha Berlin 24; A. Bielefeld, B. Leverkusen, B. Dortmund 22.
Ligue 1: Played yesterday - Lille vs St Etienne 2-2; O. Lyon vs PSG 3-1.
Snooker: UK Championships, second round - Ding bt Day 9-7; Doherty bt Dunn 9-1; Hendry bt Harold 9-7.