Couto: Former Portugal defender Fernando Couto has agreed to sign for Serie A club Parma after successfully completing a medical yesterday. Couto had two seasons with Parma between 1994 and 1996 before moving to Barcelona and then on to Lazio where he had played for the past seven seasons. The 36-year-old central defender was a free agent after his contract with Lazio ended in June and Parma said he would complete his move today.
Chile: Chile coach Nelson Acosta has criticised goalkeeper Nelson Tapia for swapping his shirt with Brazil striker Robinho after conceding four goals in the first half of Sunday's World Cup qualifier. Brazil scored four times in the first 29 minutes on their way to a 5-0 win which guaranteed their place in Germany next year. "I believe it was a tremendous mistake," Acosta said. "When they score four goals against you, the only thing you want to do is go straight to the changing-room, to talk and sort out the problem."
Bundesliga: Germany's Bundesliga premier soccer league will start broadcasting games live to mobile phones at the end of September in a pilot project with software giant Microsoft, Bundesliga operator DFL said. Games will be broadcast in DVB-H (digital video broadcast for handhelds) standard, which will be introduced in Berlin this month, to a limited group of users with smart phones based on Windows media software. The test phase will run until the end of the current season in May.
Mexico: Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe's job was safe yesterday after the owners of the country's first division clubs agreed to stop bickering. The owners also agreed to support Mexican Football Federation (FMF) president Alberto de la Torre, who had been under fire for his handling of the doping affair involving Salvador Carmona and Aaron Galindo at the Confederations Cup. "They decided for unity...unity for the national team project, for the first division and for the administration of the FMF," De la Torre said.
In Italy: Serie B - Cesena vs Atalanta 0-2; Arezzo vs Crotone 2-0. Serie C1 (A) Genoa vs Pizzighettone 0-0.
Hockey: European Challenge II - Denmark vs Malta 4-2; Cyprus vs Azerbaijan 0-4. Playing tomorrow - 1 p.m. Azerbaijan vs Cyprus; 3.30 p.m. Malta vs Denmark.
U-21 Result: Group Eight - Hungary vs Sweden 0-1.