Bellamy: Blackburn have completed the signing of Craig Bellamy from Newcastle. The Welshman has penned a four-year deal at Ewood Park after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. Celtic, Everton, Aston Villa and Birmingham were all hoping to sign him, but Blackburn have moved to bring him to Lancashire.
Euro 2012: Croatia's parliament gave its support yesterday to a joint bid with Hungary to stage the 2012 European soccer championships finals. Hungary's parliament approved the bid earlier this week. It is Croatia's second attempt to host the tournament after a joint bid with Bosnia for the 2008 finals failed. The other bidders for 2012 are Greece, Italy, Russia, Turkey and Poland and Ukraine jointly. The decision will be made in December 2006. Austria and Switzerland are joint hosts of Euro 2008.
Litmanen: Finland playmaker and national team captain Jari Litmanen, 34, is joining leading Swedish club Malmo FF on a half-season contract, the Finnish football federation said yesterday. The skilled midfielder, who has played for top clubs Ajax, Barcelona and Liverpool as well as Hansa Rostock in Germany, said he hoped to win the Swedish trophy and play in the Champions League. His contract has an option for 2006.
In Uruguay: Nacional have been declared Uruguayan champions after opponents Defensor Sporting boycotted a two-leg play-off in protest at a refereeing decision. A meeting of the Uruguayan FA's (AUF) executive committee voted by four to one to hand Nacional the 2005 Special championship title at a meeting on Wednesday. Defensor were set to win the title on Sunday until Nacional beat Rocha 3-2 with a controversial penalty awarded in the fifth minute of injury time to finish level on points 41 points from 17 games.
Fenerbahce: A senior Fenerbahce executive has said the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) proposed scheme for sharing broadcast revenues was unacceptable. The TFF unveiled the revamped plan on Tuesday after 14 medium and small-sized clubs threatened last month to boycott the first division championship. The proposal was seen as being in line with what these clubs sought. "There is a significant decrease in our share from last year. It is impossible for us to accept this new pool system," Fenerbahce deputy chairman Nihat Ozdemir was quoted as saying.
Cricket: England had Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood to thank yesterday as they crushed Australia by nine wickets in the first match of their one-day series. Everything went the home side's way as the world champions were restricted to 219 for seven, Collingwood taking four wickets with his medium-pacers, before the left-handed Trescothick scored 104 not out as England won with four overs to spare.