Ibanez: West Brom defender Pablo Ibanez has won an appeal against a one-match ban after the red card he picked up in a recent Premier League defeat to Blackpool was rescinded by England’s FA. Ibanez was sent off in the 11th minute of Monday’s match at Bloomfield Road after he was adjudged to have brought down Blackpool striker DJ Campbell inside the area. Ibanez appealed and the FA confirmed that his claim for wrongful dismissal had been upheld by an independent regulatory commission.
Comolli: Liverpool announced the appointment of former Tottenham sporting director Damien Comolli as part of their bid Liverpool are currently battling their way out of the lower reaches of the Premier League. Frenchman Comolli quit his post at St Etienne on Tuesday having joined the French side after leaving Spurs in October 2008.
Klinsmann: Jurgen Klinsmann has agreed a deal to work with Toronto FC as a consultant. The former Germany boss will help the Major League Soccer club with their restructuring in the wake of Mo Johnston’s firing in September. Johnston, who first joined the club in 2006, had been working as director of soccer and his departure has prompted an internal overhaul which Klinsmann will help oversee.
Van Persie: Injured Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has been named in the preliminary Holland squad for their friendly against Turkey in Amsterdam on November 17. National coach Bert van Marwijk has included the frontman, who has been out since late August with an ankle injury, in his 24-man party. The news is unlikely to go down well with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who claimed last month that Van Persie had “no chance” of playing in the match.
Tennis: France’s hopes of winning the Davis Cup were dealt a body blow yesterday when top player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he was ending his season because of a knee injury. The world number 13 already had three months on the sidelines this summer to have an operation on his troublesome left knee and only returned to action last month in Tokyo. But he felt pain again in the joint in losing to compatriot Gael Monfils in the semi-finals of the ATP Montpellier tournament last week.
Basketball, NBA: Rajon Rondo had nine points and 17 assists to lead Boston to a 109-86 thrashing of Detroit, ensuring the Pistons were off to their first 0-4 NBA start since 1999. Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and Paul Pierce added 21 for the Celtics, who cruised to victory despite the absence of Shaquille O’Neal with a bruised right knee. Charlie Villanueva scored 17 points for the Pistons, who played without Richard Hamilton, who is nursing a sore right foot.
Surfing: Former three-time world surfing champion Andy Irons has died at the age of 32, his father Phil Irons said. The cause of death was not immediately known, but he withdrew from a surfing competition in Puerto Rico last weekend because of illness. Irons was found dead in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas, where he was on a layover en route to his home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Motor Racing: South Korea has cancelled this month’s international F3 race after state inspectors questioned the safety of mobile stands, organisers said. Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO), a joint venture between a private company and South Jeolla province, held the country’s first F1 Grand Prix at its brand-new track in Yeongam county last month. KAVO spokesman Kim Jae-Ho said: “Because of delayed approval from inspectors, we have decided to cancel this year’s F3 race, which was to take place in the last week of November.”