Livorno: Livorno have loaned Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Osei to Romanian first division club Politehnica Timisoara for a year. Osei played six matches for the Serie A side during 2004-2005.
Saviola: Argentine striker Javier Saviola returned to Barcelona yesterday after a season-long loan at Monaco hoping to resolve his future as soon as possible. Barca coach Frank Rijkaard has said the former River Plate player is surplus to requirements but the Spanish champions have yet to find a buyer for the 23-year-old international. "At the moment I'm still a Barcelona player and have two years left to run on my contract," Saviola said.
Figo: Luis Figo told Real Madrid yesterday: "Play me or I'll leave." The Portuguese winger came on as a second-half substitute in Real's 3-1 pre-season win over Japan's Jubilo Iwata and said later he felt unsettled about his future. "My situation is strange," Figo told Reuters. "Of course, I just want to play football - hopefully with Real Madrid. But if I don't have chances here, I have to move."
Troussier: Nigeria accused Frenchman Philippe Troussier of being unprofessional and afraid of a challenge after he turned down the post of national team coach. Ibrahim Galadima, chairman of Nigeria FA, was commenting after Troussier declined the job citing health reasons and gave Nigeria only a 10 per cent chance of reaching the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "By rejecting a job he had previously accepted is unprofessional and it only shows he is afraid of what is ahead," Galadima told Reuters.
Great Debut: Striker John Carew marked his Lyon debut in style with a hat-trick as they demolished AJ Auxerre 4-1 in the French season's curtain-raiser, the Trophy of the Champions, yesterday. Carew joined the Ligue 1 title holders from Besiktas last month. The win was encouraging for Lyon manager Gerard Houllier, who joined the club in the close season after being dismissed by Liverpool in May 2004.
¤ Tycoon Li Ka-shing's Tom Group Ltd said this week it was premature to say it is in talks on a specific deal to buy the Formula One auto racing group, but did not rule out any interest in the popular sport. The Hong Kong-based media company, partly owned by Li's flagship conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, was responding to a report in British newspapers that said Hutchison was preparing a $1 billion bid for Formula One through the Tom Group. F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone told reporters he had met someone about the matter, but said such approaches were unremarkable and that he would be happier to keep Formula One's current ownership structure.