Zambrotta: Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta has extended his contract with Serie A champions Juventus until 2010, the club said yesterday. Zambrotta's deal ran until 2008 but the left-back has signed a two-year extension with the Turin team. The 28-year-old joined Juventus from Bari in 1999 and has won three league titles during his time at the Delle Alpi stadium. He arrived at the club as a midfielder but was converted to a left-back by former Juve coach Marcello Lippi who has continued to use him in that role for the Italian national team.
Borgetti: Mexico striker Jared Borgetti completed his move to Bolton when he signed for the Premier League club on Thursday. "I can't wait to get started," Borgetti, Mexico's all-time joint record goal scorer, said after passing a medical and signing a two-year contract. The transfer fee for Borgetti, the first Mexican to join a Premier League club, from Mexico's Pachuca has been reported at around one million pounds.
Real parks: Real Madrid plan to construct branded theme parks in Miami and Beijing as part of a strategy to expand and develop marketing opportunities across the globe. Real are also planning to include a theme park in Madrid at their new training base which is under construction in Valdebebas near the city's Barajas airport. AS reported that the club is aiming to have all three parks in place by 2008.
Nakamura: Celtic will make a piece of history by playing Scotland's first Japanese player Shunsuke Nakamura when they face Dundee United today. The midfielder, signed from Reggina for 2.75 million pounds, will be in the squad for Celtic's first home match of the Scottish Premier League season. The 27-year-old's arrival has sparked much interest with Japanese television crews and newspaper reporters coming to Celtic Park. The club has responded by putting up signs in Japanese.
Pandiani: Birmingham have completed the signing of Uruguay striker Walter Pandiani from Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna. The two clubs agreed a three million pounds, three-year deal after the 29-year-old spent a successful loan spell at St Andrew's during the second half of last season. Pandiani originally moved to Birmingham on loan in February after Depor opened disciplinary proceedings against him for publicly criticising coach Javier Irureta and some of his team-mates.
Allianssi fined: Finnish club Allianssi Vantaa and their new coach Thierry Pister were fined this week for insufficient preparation for a league match last month. Finnish champions Haka Valkeakoski beat last season's runners-up Allianssi 8-0 on July 7 in a match which attracted far heavier betting than usual, mostly in Asian markets. Allianssi were fined 10,000 euros and Pister 5,000 euros by the Finnish FA's disciplinary committee which said the club's poor preparation had damaged the name of the league and other teams.
Rodriguez: Monaco defender Julien Rodriguez has joined Rangers, the Ligue 1 side announced. Sources inside the club say he is to sign a four-year deal with the Scottish champions. Centre-back Rodriguez, 27, has won the French title with Monaco in 2000.
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs B. Moenchengladbach 3-0.
In Holland: Super Cup - PSV vs Ajax 1-2.