Domenech: Former France coach Raymond Domenech made his coaching comeback yesterday, at the helm of an U-11s team from a suburb west of Paris. Domenech, sacked as coach of France after the World Cup, has voluntarily offered to coach one of the junior teams at AC Boulogne.
Criscito: Bayern Munich are considering making an approach for Genoa defender Domenico Criscito in the January transfer window, according to Bild. The newspaper claims that Bayern have watched Criscito on a number of occasions and made contact with his club.
Spearing: Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury in training. The 21-year-old had hoped to use the absence of Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva to make his first Premier League showings. But he picked up an injury at the end of Friday’s training session.
Gascoigne: The rehabilitation clinic treating Paul Gascoigne has urged the press to stop “harassing” the troubled former footballer – claiming that media attention is adding to his current anxieties. The Providence Projects, which is treating the star for alcoholism and depression, said photographers and reporters have been camped outside its South Coast clinic every day since he entered rehab.
Ligue 1: Nancy vs Valenciennes 2-0; PSG vs Caen 2-1; S. Rennes vs Brest 2-1; St Etienne vs Auxerre 1-1; Sochaux vs Lorient 2-0; Toulouse vs Marseille 0-1; Nice vs M’pellier 0-1.
La Liga: Villarreal vs Valencia 1-1; Almeria vs Barcelona 0-8.
Cricket: England head into the Ashes opener brimming with confidence after a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Australia A on the fourth and final day of their tour match at Bellerive Oval yesterday. Skipper Andrew Strauss hit the winning runs to clinch England’s second victory on their Australian tour before the first Brisbane Test, starting next Thursday.
Hockey: Three women players from Kazakhstan were ejected from the Asian Games for representing two nations this year. The trio admitted to having played for Belarus in World Cup qualifiers in April. The Kazakhs will have to forfeit all five matches they have played so far, with their rivals awarded a 5-0 scoreline except for the game against South Korea, who won 10-3.
Basketball: Tim Duncan set the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA franchise scoring record on Friday, eclipsing the mark held by Spurs icon David Robinson. Duncan needed 13 points to eclipse the mark of 20,790 set by Robinson over 14 NBA seasons. He finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds in San Antonio’s 94-82 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Equestrian: Buddhist monk Kenki Sato won the Asian Games eventing individual gold medal yesterday, which he said was all part of the “special life path” he is on. The Japanese rode his horse Toy Boy to the title ahead of South Korea’s Choen Jai-Sik and defending champion and team-mate Yoshiaki Oiwa. Sato has been riding since he was seven and said it was something that gelled well with Buddhism.