Stijnen: Belgian keeper Stijn Stijnen has been dropped from the first team squad after a bizarre campaign to undermine his rival goalkeepers at the club was uncovered. The 29-year-old launched a campaign anonymously through several email addresses. He posted messages on Bruges supporters internet forums inciting the club’s fans to bring banners inscribed with derogatory inscriptions about his rivals to their matches.
Costly tickets: Man. United manager Alex Ferguson has slammed the price of tickets for the Champions League final at Wembley on May 28 as “a killer” for fans. Last week, UEFA admitted ticket prices for the showpiece would be the most expensive ever. The cheapest tickets will cost €209. “It’s a killer and a corporate deal, that managers and players can’t do anything about it,” he said.
Lopez: Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez will miss tomorrow’s Champions Lea-gue match with Real Madrid. The Argentine had been doubtful for the match after he suffered injury in training on Thursday – though the club denied he had picked up the injury when he lashed out at the ball when informed he would not start Friday’s match with Nancy.
Palestine: The Palestinian team is to play an international match on its home turf for the first time ever. “This game will be the first international held on Palestinian land as one of the qualifying matches for the Olympics,” said minister Al-Muta-wakil Taha. The match, against Thailand, is scheduled for March 9.
Split: Croatia’s Federation (HNS) is facing a split between those supporting long-term president Vlatko Markovic and those backing former international Igor Stimac, who was elected yesterday to head the HNS. Two months after Markovic was re-elected on a fourth successive mandate, Stimac won backing from all 25 delegates during an extraordinary assembly session held in Zagreb.
Snooker: Welsh Open final – Higgins bt Maguire 9-6.
Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki, who takes over from Kim Clijsters as world no.1 again in today’s new WTA ranking list, celebrated with the 13th title of her career, the Dubai Open, yesterday after outplaying Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3. Wozniacki turned in her fifth solid performance of the week against Kuznetsova, even though the latter had previously been showing signs of revival after more than six months in the doldrums.
Boxing: Filipino fighter Nonito Donaire stopped Mexico’s Fernando Montiel in the second round to take the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles. Donaire took a right to the head from the champion, then immediately countered with a devastating left to the head that sent Montiel crumpling to the canvas. Montiel rose to continue and Donaire rushed over to land a left and a right before referee Russell Mora stopped the fight.
Basketball: Kobe Bryant became the first athlete to have his foot and hand prints placed in the cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The honour, usually reserved for the most glamorous film stars, is another feather in the cap of the 13-time all-star Bryant who has five NBA championship rings and an Olympic gold medal.
Marathon: The 2009 world silver medallist Yoshimi Ozaki, of Japan, broke away in the last three kilometres to win the Yokohama women’s marathon yesterday. The 29-year-old, running against her compatriot Remi Nakazato and Marisa Barros, of Portugal, put on a spurt after passing 38kms, crossing the finishing line in two hours 23 minutes 56 seconds.
Athletics: France’s triple jump indoor world champion Teddy Tamgho broke his own world record in the discipline in Aubiere yesterday with a leap of 17.91 metres. The 21-year-old bettered his previous mark of 17.90, set at last year’s world indoor championships in Doha.