A round-up of today’s other stories in brief
Venkys clear Blackburn purchase
BLACKBURN Rovers hope the sale of the club to Indian conglomerate Venkys will be completed in November, with the investors expecting to seal a €53 million deal for the side.
Rovers chairman John Williams said confirmed the deal in a statement on the club’s website (www.rovers.co.uk) yesterday.
Venkys’ joint managing director B Venkatesh Rao said Venkys were prepared to invest beyond the purchase of the club.
“It’s a £46 million (€53 million) deal. We have to pump in some more money but I don’t want to get into the details now,” Rao said.
The VH Group, of which Venkateshwara Hatcheries P Ltd is the flagship company, specialises in poultry farming and claims to be the “largest fully integrated poultry group in Asia”.
Its diversified businesses interests include food processing, animal healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
South African Khumalo joining Tottenham in January
SOUTH African international defender Bongani Khumalo will join Tottenham Hotspur in January after agreeing a pre-contract agreement subject to a work permit being granted, the club confirmed yesterday.
The centre back, 23, who has played 19 times for South Africa and scored in their 2-1 win over France in the World Cup, had a trial with Spurs in September, impressing manager Harry Redknapp enough to offer him a contract.
Spurs confirmed on their website they have signed him from Supersport United.
Spain dominate shortlist for prestigious Ballon d'Or
WORLD Cup winners Spain have seven players featured in a 23-man shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d’Or unveiled by soccer’s governing body and France Football magazine yesterday.
Barcelona have six players in the list, four of them Spanish including David Villa, who joined from Valencia during the close season.
Last year’s Ballon d’Or victor Lionel Messi of Argentina is also there as La Liga emerged as the most represented league with 11 players, while the English Premier League only has three players in the shortlist, none of them English.
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas are joined by Sunderland’s Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan, who was with French side Rennes last year.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who had an indifferent World Cup, was not on the list.
No French players were on the list, following their fiasco in South Africa but Champions League winners Inter Milan have four players on the list.
The winner will be announced on January 10th in Zurich.
FIFA BALLON DOR SHORTLIST: Casillas (Real Madrid), Alves (Barcelona), Drogba (Chelsea), Eto'o (Inter Milan), Fabregas (Arsenal), Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Gyan (Stade Rennes, then Sunderland), Iniesta (Barcelona), Cesar (Inter Milan), Klose (Bayern Munich), Lahm (Bayern Munich), Maicon (Inter Milan), Messi (Barcelona), Mueller (Bayern Munich), Ozil (Werder Bremen, then Real Madrid), Puyol (Barcelona), Robben (Bayern Munich), Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Sneijder (Inter Milan), Villa (Valencia, then Barcelona), Alonso (Real Madrid), Xavi (Barcelona).
Paul the oracle octopus dies
PAUL, the oracle octopus who shot to fame in the World Cup this summer for his uncanny ability to predict the results of Germanys soccer matches, has died at his home in Oberhausen at the age of two.
English-born Paul made headlines across the globe after he correctly forecast how Germany would fare in seven matches, before his psychic powers were tested again for the final.
After Germany’s semi-final defeat, Paul tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final, which prompted one news agency to report he had spurred a jump in demand for Spanish government bonds. Spain won.
Staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in western Germany said in a statement they were “devastated” to learn of Paul’s death when they returned to work yesterday.
“He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes,” said the centre’s manager Stefan Porwoll.
Eriksson denies Beckham bid nigh
SVEN-Goran Eriksson has denied that Leicester will make an audacious attempt to sign David Beckham.
Eriksson knows Beckham well, having worked with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player during his five years as England manager.
The Swede does not believe Beckham would play for a Championship club, but joked that the door at the Walkers Stadium would always be open for the 35-year-old.
“The story should be killed at once because it will not happen,” said Eriksson. “There is nothing in it, but I can tell you that if David wants to come here to play football then he is more than welcome. If he wants to come, then come. But I doubt that he wants to play in the Championship.”
Middlesbrough choose Mowbray
TONY Mowbray has been appointed as Gordon Strachan’s successor for the second time in 14 months after Middlesbrough made him manager yesterday.
Former Middlesbrough player Mowbray, who replaced Strachan at Celtic last year and left in March, guided West Bromwich Albion into the Premier League only to go straight back down to the Championship.
Krasic banned after penalty-winning dive reviewed
JUVENTUS winger Milos Krasic will miss Saturday’s Serie A clash at AC Milan after being banned for two matches yesterday for diving to win a penalty in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Bologna.
Serie A said that after reviewing video evidence, it was clear there was no contact with Bologna’s Daniele Portanova.
“The referee made an error because of a dive by the Juventus player,” a statement said, adding Krasic must serve a two-game ban.
Vincenzo Iaquinta missed the resulting penalty after 36 minutes but Italian media have castigated Serbia’s Krasic.
