Reyes: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is convinced striker Jose Antonio Reyes will remain at the club for next season. The 21-year-old Spaniard has been linked with a move to Real Madrid but Wenger said he thought Dutch forward Dennis Bergkamp and Brazilian midfielder Edu were the only two players who might depart at the end of the season. "Today I am convinced he will be here next season," Wenger said yesterday. "We will try everything to try and keep him here. I think he is doing better and better in every game and getting stronger and stronger and what he is doing is remarkable."
Anti-Glazer boycott off: Man. United fans have scrapped plans to boycott Saturday's Premier League game at home to West Bromwich Albion, in what was planned to be a protest at takeover moves by US tycoon Malcolm Glazer. Anti-Glazer groups led by the Independent Man. United Supporters Association (IMUSA) had called on Wednesday for fans to either boycott the game entirely or to walk out after an hour's play. But an IMUSA spokesman said yesterday: "Because we've prevaricated for so long over whether to actually call the boycott, we've left it too late to organise it properly."
Chelsea: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he needs to strengthen the Premier League champions with three new players next season. Mourinho's current squad last Saturday added the league title to their League Cup but unexpectedly bowed out of the Champions League semi-finals to Liverpool in midweek. "We will keep our group of champions and improve it," Mourinho said. "If we look at the left-back position, we have only Wayne Bridge. We can improve on that place before next season. When you look at the attacking players, we can say we need another one. In midfield, we can keep them all and maybe add another one."
Barthez: Marseille goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, suspended for spitting at a referee, said yesterday he always had great respect for officials. Barthez said players and referees belonged to the family of soccer. The France international was banned for three months for spitting at a Morocco referee during a friendly between Marseille and Wydad Casablanca in February. The disciplinary committee of the French Football Federation banned Barthez for six months, three of them suspended, but the FFF decided to appeal against the ruling seeking for a tougher punishment.
Pitch invasion: A match between first division title contenders Austria Vienna and visiting Graz AK was abandoned on Thursday after Vienna fans stormed the pitch. The invasion came after Roland Kollmann scored his second goal to put Graz AK 3-0 ahead in the 78th minute. Vienna supporters gathered behind their side's goal and could not be moved back to the stands by police, prompting referee Dietmar Drabek to halt the match.
Basketball: Euroleague SFs - Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) vs Panathinaikos (Greece) 91-82; Tau Ceramica (Spain) vs CSKA Moscow (Russia) 85-78.
Hewitt expecting: Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and his fiancee Bec Cartwright are expecting a child later this year. Australian media reported that Cartwright, a 21-year-old actress in the Australian television soap opera "Home and Away" was three months pregnant. Hewitt proposed to Cartwright after losing this year's Australian Open final to Russian Marat Safin following a whirlwind romance. Hewitt, 24, had been due to marry Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters next month but she called the wedding off late last year following a four-year relationship.
Molik pulls out: Australia's Alicia Molik has pulled out of this month's French Open with an inner-ear infection. The world number eight has been diagnosed with vestibular neuronitis, a condition that has sapped her energy and made her dizzy. Molik has been one of the most improved players on the women's circuit in the past 12 months and looms as a contender for Wimbledon because of her booming serve.
Gold for China: China won its fifth and final gold medal of the world table tennis championships yesterday when top seed Wang Liqin beat compatriot Ma Lin in the final of the men's singles. Wang won 11-9 3-11 8-11 11-9 11-9 11-7. The gold medal in the men's singles is China's fifth of the week-long tournament, held in Shanghai, and was the one the team wanted most after missing out at the Athens Olympics. The host nation also won the mixed doubles, men's doubles, women's doubles and women's singles in the competition.