Holloway: Blackpool manager Ian Holloway rounded on Liverpool after describing their bid for midfielder Charlie Adam, believed to be around £4 million, as “disgraceful”. “I was thinking Liverpool and Charlie,” Holloway said. “I thought fantastic what a great club for him to go to and then when I heard the bid I thought it was disgraceful. I don’t think it was Kenny that put that offer in. Mr (Damien) Comolli (Liverpool’s director of football strategy) should look at what is going on and get realistic.”
Culina: Australia midfielder Jason Culina will miss the Asian Cup semi-final against Uzbekistan after being pulled out of the squad for treatment for a knee injury, the team said yesterday. Culina, who played the Socceroos’ first two games but missed the final group fixture and Saturday’s quarter-final with Iraq, will not be replaced in the squad.
Benzema: Misfit striker Karim Benzema reminded Jose Mourinho of his talents yesterday, scoring the 60th-minute goal in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Real Mallorca which cut Barcelona’s lead back to four points. Benzema, at the centre of a midweek row between Mourinho and Real general manager Jorge Valdano over the French striker’s under-employment, cut inside on to his left foot before drilling in for only his second league goal of the season.
Zarate: The Italian football authorities are expected to look into events at the end of Lazio’s 3-1 defeat to Bologna as Mauro Zarate was accused of spitting at an opponent and throwing a punch. At the final whistle, Zarate is said to have thrown a ball at opponent Matteo Rubin’s head before becoming involved in an altercation. It is claimed he threw a punch at Albin Ekdal but accidentally struck the referee’s assistant.
Carew: John Carew has intimated he would be interested in making his move to Stoke City a permanent arrangement. The Norwegian international joined Stoke on loan until the end of the season last week after falling out of favour at Aston Villa. “I’m just really looking forward to the challenge and really happy to be here,” said Carew. “If that’s the situation in the summer, that I’m happy, the club are happy, and we’ve done well, absolutely, it could be interesting to go further.”
Boxing: Four-time heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield’s fight with Sherman “Tank” Williams ended in a three-round no-contest on Saturday. Holyfield, who at 48 says he is on a quest for one more legitimate, even undisputed, world crown, was cut over his left eye in the second round after an accidental head butt. Williams staggered Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) with a series of blows in the third round, but after the bell Holyfield told the referee he could not see and the bout was declared a no-contest.
Cycling: Top American team Garmin-Cervelo sacked their Australian coach Matt White yesterday, only hours after Cameron Meyer’s victory in the Tour Down Under. White had been on a collision course with his employers since last week when it was announced that he would play a role for Cycling Australia, his national federation, during international competition. Garmin-Cervelo, however, said they sacked White because he infringed team rules by referring a former team rider, Australian Trent Lowe, to a controversial Spanish doctor, Luis Garcia del Moral.
Cricket: David Hussey steered Australia to a four-wicket win over England in the third one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. Australia posted 215-6 to win with four overs to spare, after England scored just 214 from 48 overs – the third time in as many matches they have failed to last their full allotment of overs. The home side take a 3-0 lead in the seven-match series, in which England are seeking a sixth consecutive ODI series win.
Golf: Martin Kaymer yesterday displaced Tiger Woods as the world number two after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for the third time in four years by a thumping eight-shot margin over Rory McIlroy. With Woods overhauled, top man Lee Westwood needs to be on his guard with Kaymer seemingly on the march to the world number one spot. The German needed only a top-seven finish to take over as number two from Woods, but won at a canter from a field which included the other three current major champions, and also Westwood, who ended up 64th, out-scored by a massive 26 strokes.