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STOCKHOLM, March 18 (Reuters) - HJK Helsinki’s Zambian midfielder Dominic Yobe has been questioned by Finnish police in relation to match-fixing allegations and instructed not to leave the country, the club told Reuters on Friday.

A further six men have been remanded in custody in connection with the allegations, the Finnish National Prosecutor’s Office has said.

“He (Yobe) has been suspended from training and games temporarily and we are starting discussions with Dominic about the situation immediately,” club spokesman Felix Siivonen said by telephone from Helsinki.

“When we get more information from the police and from Dominic we will be making some decisions but it’s far too early to say just yet.”

The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into match-fixing in Finland following the apprehension of a Singaporean man at Vaanta Airport last month.

(Editing by Justin Palmer and Alan Baldwin;To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: betting, Helsinki, Midfielder, probe, Reuters, suspended

MADRID (AP)—Real Madrid will be looking to end its jinx against Lyon in European competition on Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2004.

Madrid drew 1-1 in the first leg with Karim Benzema providing the away goal advantage ahead of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where the teams have drawn in all three previous meetings—including last year when the French club knocked the nine-time champions out at the same stage.

Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, AS Roma, Liverpool and Lyon have all sent Madrid out since it’s last two-legged triumph in the round of 16—against Bayern seven years ago. Miralem Pjanic’s second-half goal earned the French club a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu last year to go through 2-1 on aggregate.

“Yes, this run of bad results works against Real Madrid. But the game will be open and Madrid has a small advantage,” Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said Tuesday. “But if we don’t get through this year it’s not a big problem. Big problems are what is happening in Japan right now.”

Mourinho said he would make a decision on Cristiano Ronaldo’s availability after training later Tuesday as Madrid looks for its first victory over Lyon in seven Champions League matches. The Portugal forward, who leads the team with 37 goals in all competitions, has missed two league games with a leg injury.

“It’s the first time that Lyon plays its second match here without an advantage. At this point we’re qualified and they have to play a big game,” Mourinho said. “We will play very defensively. We’ll stack the back and hope (goalkeeper Iker) Casillas makes a lot of stops so if it ends 0-0 we’re through.”

Mourinho’s future at Madrid could depend on the result as the Portuguese coach was hired to end Madrid’s drought in the competition.

So far, Mourinho’s first season has been successful. He has led the team to the Copa del Rey final and into second place in the league, five points behind Barcelona.

But Madrid yearns for European glory and another early exit may leave even the brash Mourinho in trouble.

“Madrid is the champion of champions but obviously they need to win it again. Mourinho is one of three coaches to have won Champions League twice with different clubs so if I don’t win another I’ll still go down in the competition’s history. But I still want to win another,” said Mourinho, who is vying to become the first to win the European Cup with three different teams following title runs with FC Porto and Inter Milan. “(But) everybody wants to play, nobody is afraid. There’s no special pressure for it.”

Madrid, which as won all 21 games played at the Bernabeu this season and has advanced 19 of the 20 times it has drawn away in the first leg of UEFA competitions, also has an inform Benzema to count on. The France striker is finally showing why Madrid paid ?35 million ($49 million) for him from Lyon, and he has scored 19 goals in all competitions with five in Europe.

“He’s changed, it’s true. But Karim himself is the main reason for it, as well as the other players and myself,” Mourinho said of Benzema, who has been helped by Madrid official and former France great Zinedine Zidane. “I also think the psychological work that Zizou has done with him has been very important.”

Mourinho also has Emmanuel Adebayor to choose from in attack in the absence of injured Brazil playmaker Kaka and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Lyon can count on Argentina striker Lisandro Lopez, who has scored four times in two games since returning from injury. Left back Aly Cissokho, who is still recovering from a thigh injury, traveled with the team and has a good chance to start in place of Thimothee Kolodziejczak, while Brazilian midfielder Michel Bastos is suspended.

Midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is available despite a bruised toe.

Lyon is currently enjoying its best form all season and moved within four points of French league leader Lille with a 2-0 win at Sochaux last weekend.

“Everyone is sharing the same positive state of mind at the moment,” France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan said. “(But) even if we did it last season, Real Madrid has improved defensively. Last year, their central defense was left abandoned.”

AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.

Labels: downplays, Madrids, Mourinho

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP)—A drunken driver responsible for a 2009 crash that seriously injured United States forward Charlie Davies has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Maria Alejandra Espinoza was sentenced Friday at a hearing in federal court. She tearfully apologized for her actions during the hearing.

Espinoza was legally intoxicated as she drove Davies and Ashley Roberta on the George Washington Parkway on their way back to Davies’ hotel. She drove off the road and the crash seriously injured Davies and killed Roberta.

Davies, now a member of DC United, missed the 2010 World Cup as he recovered from his injuries.

Espinoza had pleaded guilty in November to involuntary manslaughter in the case.

Labels: crash, Davies, Driver, injured, years

NYON, Switzerland (AP)—AS Roma’s Daniele De Rossi has been banned three games for his elbow to the face of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Dario Srna during a Champions League match.

European soccer’s governing body on Friday cited De Rossi for improper conduct. He will serve the ban in future Champions League or Europa League games. He can appeal the punishment within three days.

UEFA acted after referee Howard Webb missed what happened during Roma’s 3-0 loss and elimination in Ukraine last week. Webb then showed Srna a yellow card for protesting that De Rossi used his elbow.

Shakhtar advanced to the quarterfinals 6-2 on total goals.

Labels: banned, Daniele, Games, Romas, Rossi

HELSINKI (AP)—Finnish police say they are holding five players and one other person suspected of being involved in match fixing in top-division games.

The National Bureau of Investigation says the players are suspected of taking bribes to fix matches in Finland last year.

A police statement Friday said they also were holding a Singapore citizen arrested with false identification papers on Feb. 25. He is suspected of “paying players to fix match results,” it said.

Police did not name the suspects and declined to give further details.

Labels: Finnish, Launch, matchfixing, police, probe

NYON, Switzerland (AP)—UEFA has banned AS Roma captain Daniele De Rossi for three matches after he struck Shakhtar Donetsk captain Dario Srna in the face during a Champions League match.

UEFA’s disciplinary panel sanctioned De Rossi on Friday after he was charged with improper conduct.

De Rossi will serve the ban in future Champions League or Europa League matches. He can appeal the punishment within three days.

UEFA acted after English referee Howard Webb missed the incident during Roma’s 3-0 loss and elimination in Ukraine last week. Webb then showed Srna a yellow card for protesting that De Rossi used his elbow.

Shakhtar advanced to the quarterfinals 6-2 on aggregate.

Labels: clash, elbowing, Rossi

By Iain Rogers

MADRID, March 15 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo’s participation in Real Madrid’s Champions League last-16, second leg at home to Olympique Lyon on Wednesday still hangs in the balance, coach Jose Mourinho said.

The joint La Liga top scorer has missed Real’s last two matches with a leg muscle strain and Mourinho said he would decide after training later on Tuesday whether to include his Portuguese compatriot in the squad.

Lyon, who have not lost to the nine-times European champions in seven meetings and knocked them out at the same stage last season, fought back to draw 1-1 in last month’s first leg in France, although Real will be firm favourites to advance having won all their home games this term.

“I need to consult the medical department for a final opinion and to hear how the player himself feels, his final feelings in training,” Mourinho said at a news conference at Real’s vast facility outside Madrid.

“I am not going to wait until tomorrow,” the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager added.

“I don’t like deciding the day of the match. I like to have everything clear in my head the day before. If he is fine he’ll obviously play but we have to wait a bit longer to see.”

Real hired Mourinho at the end of last season after he led Serie A side Inter to an unprecedented treble of domestic Italian league and cup and Champions League.

A 10th European crown has remained out of reach since their last title in 2002 and they have failed to progress to the quarter-finals of the continent’s elite competition the past six seasons.

They limped out of last year’s edition when Lyon snatched a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu to progress 2-1 on aggregate.

Mourinho said Real should not obsess about winning their 10th title as even if they failed in the competition this season there was always next year.

“You have to remain calm,” he said. “We have to fight hard to make it this year of course but if not then next.

“It’s not a serious problem. A serious problem is what is happening in Japan, not getting to the Champions League final.”

(Editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: clash, Fitness, Reuters, Ronaldo, sweating

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)—The head of Asia’s soccer federation says he’ll wait until Friday before saying if he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.

Mohamed bin Hammam is president of the Asian Football Confederation. His decision is to be announced at a news conference at the federation’s Malaysian headquarters.

The 61-year-old Qatari has served on FIFA’s executive committee since 1996. Blatter has been FIFA president since 1998 and is up for re-election June 1 for a fourth four-year term.

Hammam declined to discuss his possible challenge when he met with reporters Wednesday.

Labels: announce, Asian, Chief, election, plans, soccer

MILAN, April 1 (Reuters) - Brief news ahead of this weekend’s Serie A matches.

* Inter Milan defender Lucio is suspended for Saturday’s derby (1845 GMT) with league leaders AC Milan while fellow centre back Andrea Ranocchia faces a late fitness test along with left back Cristian Chivu.

Injury-prone striker Diego Milito may make the bench.

Inter, managed by last season’s Milan coach Leonardo and seeking a sixth straight scudetto with eight games left, will storm top with a win against their rivals in one of the biggest derbies for years.

* Milan are without suspended former Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and are in shaky form but midfielder Clarence Seedorf, another ex-Inter player, has rallied the troops after some team mates had attempted to play down the significance of the game.

“I say that this derby is decisive. On a psychological level, it counts a lot, anyone who says otherwise is a liar,” the Dutchman told a news conference.

* Inter’s buildup has been partly upset by president Massimo Moratti being called to give evidence to the soccer federation over accusations his club were also involved in the 2006 match-fixing scandal and should have that year’s scudetto stripped.

Moratti, who denies any role in the affair for which Juventus and Milan were among those punished, told reporters: “It was important I was here. You’ll have to ask them how it went but it was a calm and educated meeting. I am more than convinced of my position.”

* Third-placed Napoli, three points behind Milan, host Lazio in fifth in another big game on Sunday (1030) with doubts over the fitness of midfielder Juan Zuniga because of an ankle injury.

Lazio boss Edy Reja has hinted he may change formation for the clash as he tries to revive their Champions League hopes.

* Sixth-placed AS Roma welcome Juventus in seventh in Sunday’s late match (1845) with anticipation building over Thomas Di Benedetto’s consortium taking over of the capital club.

“Winning the scudetto as soon as possible is the aim,” the American, who denied there were problems with UEFA given he has been part of the group which owns Liverpool, told reporters.

“In reality, we hope for success this season because qualifying for the Champions League would count as a great victory.”

Juventus are injury-riddled for the game with striker Vincenzo Iaquinta possibly out for the season, defender Giorgio Chiellini missing for maybe a month and Alessandro Del Piero doubtful with a knock.

* Udinese, looking to cling on to the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, travel to relegation-threatened Lecce on Sunday (1300) with no new injuries following the international break.

For more Italian soccer click on

Labels: backline, decisive, derby, Italy, Reuters, roundupInter

MADRID (AP)—Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain has recovered from back surgery to be included in Real Madrid’s squad for a Spanish league game against Sporting Gijon this weekend.

Higuain hasn’t played since November, and underwent an operation for a hernia in his lower back in January. The 23-year-old will likely back up Emmanuel Adebayor in attack on Saturday with France striker Karim Benzema left out to injury.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the team as the Portugal forward continues to recover from a leg injury with a Champions League quarterfinals match against Tottenham on Tuesday. Ronaldo leads the team with 37 goals in all competitions.

Higuain scored 10 goals before succumbing to injury.

Labels: Higuain, injury, Madrid, returns

MANCHESTER, England, April 1 (Reuters) - Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has promised to change his temperamental behaviour and will return to the squad this weekend after being dropped, his manager Roberto Mancini said on Friday.

Balotelli has tested the patience of his boss in his first season at the club, picking up two red cards including one against Dynamo Kiev which played a major part in the side’s exit from the Europa League last month.

He was subsequently left out of the City squad as well as the Italy squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia and friendly with Ukraine.

“All the strikers will be available,” Mancini told a news conference when asked whether the 20-year-old Balotelli would feature in Sunday’s Premier League match at home to Sunderland.

“I hope that after Dynamo Kiev his behaviour will be good. I think he wants to show he can change his behaviour in the last two months because he lost also the national team for two games. It’s not a good thing for a young player like Mario.”

Mancini said he had spoken to Balotelli privately and had been assured that his conduct would improve.

“I think his behaviour for the future will be good,” said the Italian, whose team are fourth in the table with 53 points, trailing leaders Manchester United by 10 points. (Reporting by Sonia Oxley; Editing by Clare Fallon; To comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: Balotelli, behaviour, better, return, Reuters

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)—Turkey’s parliament has approved legislation aimed at stemming hooliganism at football matches and other competitions.

The legislation, passed late Thursday, introduces up to six years in prison for fans who dismantle seats, two years in prison for fans who chant racial slurs and obscenities in or around stadiums and one-year prison terms for spectators who attempt to bring guns, sharp objects or flares to sports events.

The legislation was pushed by the Turkish Football Federation, which has vowed to adopt zero tolerance toward hooliganism. The Turkish football league is frequently marred by crowd trouble, with fans lighting up flares, throwing objects and yelling obscenities to taunt opposition teams and referees.

In the latest example of unruly crowd behavior, spectators threw a lighter at Austria goalkeeper Juergen Macho during a 2012 European Championship qualifier in Istanbul on Tuesday. He was not injured.

A large glass bottle was also thrown on the field during a derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray in Istanbul on March 18.

With the new legislation, fans can only purchase electronic tickets using government ID numbers, making it easier to track and punish troublemakers.

Fans deemed to be drunk or under the influence of drugs will be refused entry to events, while anyone involved in hooliganism will be barred from competitions for a year.

In a bid to tackle match-fixing, individuals caught bribing players or paying fees to teams as incentives face a maximum 12 years in prison.

Turkey is at the center of a European match-fixing scandal, currently under investigation by police in Germany, in which 270 matches in at least nine domestic leagues and international competitions are under suspicion.

In 2000, two fans of English club Leeds were stabbed to death in Istanbul, ruining Turkey’s reputation internationally.

Labels: hooliganism, tackle, tries, Turkey

By Zoran Milosavljevic

BELGRADE, April 1 (Reuters) - Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA should impose a solution that would lift Bosnia’s suspension from Euro 2012, their coach Safet Susic said on Friday.

Susic spoke to Reuters by telephone after UEFA and FIFA suspended the Bosnian national team and clubs from international football after the country’s football federation (NFSBiH) failed to adopt new statutes.

“I think UEFA should come up with a solution and impose it on the Bosnian Football Federation because there is absolutely no chance that the NFSBiH might find a way out of the present deadlock and get the job done,” he said.

“These people are incapable of running the NFSBiH properly, although this situation is partly a result of political orders because Bosnia is an ethnically divided country where a dysfunctional system has now caught up with football.”

Under the present NFSBiH statues, a Serb, a Croat and an ethnic Muslim take turns in running the body.

Susic said his players were the innocent victims of the suspension.

“Denying the players a chance to perform on the big stage through no fault of their own is like sending innocent people to prison,” he said.

“We can only hope that UEFA and FIFA will show some level of understanding for our political situation and come up with a feasible model because, quite frankly, I don’t see another way.”

JOB LOSSES

At a congress in Sarajevo on Tuesday, 28 of 53 NFSBiH deputies voted against instructions by FIFA and UEFA to replace the rotating three-man presidential system with one that would meet international standards.

The Bosnians are well placed to reach their first major tournament as an independent nation, having collected seven points from four games in the European championship’s Group D after Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Romania.

They are fourth in the group, five points behind leaders France and one behind Belarus and Albania but with a game in hand on all three.

“It would be a disaster to end the qualifiers by getting kicked out of the competition and it would affect not just the players and football, which is the only good and productive thing Bosnia has at the moment,” Susic said.

“It would result in job losses because the soccer industry employs a considerable number of people.”

Susic said he hoped to get support from Bosnia’s rivals.

“I also hope the other teams in the group will stand up for us, especially leaders France who beat us at home and would probably have those three points taken away if we were to be expelled from the competition.

“Whether we qualify for next year’s finals or not, all we want as a team is a fair chance to compete on the playing field but unfortunately it’s not in our hands.”

Labels: Bosnia, coach, impose, Reuters, Should, solution

BERLIN, April 1 (Reuters) - Brief news from the Bundesliga before this weekend’s matches:

* Bayern Munich defender Daniel van Buyten will miss Saturday’s game against last-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach after pulling a muscle while on international duty with Belgium during the week, the club said.

The 33-year-old central defender will be out for up to 14 days as fourth-placed Bayern chase second spot, to earn automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League.

* Striker Marko Arnautovic and captain Torsten Frings have returned to Werder Bremen training just in time for their battle against relegation-threatened VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Austria international Arnautovic recovered from a stomach virus and Frings is back in training following a bout of flu.

Bremen, in 12th place just four points off the relegation playoff places, will be without Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro, who was injured while playing for his country.

Stuttgart are in 15th place, three points behind Werder, who have 32.

* Kaiserslautern will be without Croatian midfielder Ivo Ilicevic when they host second-placed Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, the club said.

The 24-year-old pulled an abdmominal muscle while on international duty. (Writing by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by John O’Brien; To query or comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Click on for more German soccer

Labels: Bundesliga, Buyten, injured, Reuters, roundupBayerns

LONDON (AP)—Tottenham’s focus on its biggest match in years has left Saturday’s Premier League game at Wigan looking like an unwelcome distraction for manager Harry Redknapp and his injury-hit squad.

Tottenham’s rivals for a top-four spot—Chelsea and Manchester City—are each expected to pick up three points each this weekend against Stoke and Sunderland respectively, so Tottenham is desperate to beat Wigan and maintain its fading attempt to finish in the Champions League places for a second straight season.

But Redknapp must weigh the risk of fielding those players he needs for Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal match at Real Madrid—the north London club’s biggest game since at least the 1984 UEFA Cup final.

While the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea play regularly in the Champions League, Tottenham may never get another chance after this season.

“You can’t start thinking about how we are going to beat Real Madrid because we have to play Wigan on Saturday,” Redknapp said. “It’s farcical. You play Saturday, you recover on Sunday. You’re not going to have your 11 ready on Sunday because you are going to have aches and pains and knocks.

“It’s going to be very difficult to prepare for Real Madrid because Wigan are in the way.”

Winger Gareth Bale is in doubt for both matches because of a hamstring injury, while Michael Dawson and Sebastien Bassong are the only fit central defenders since William Gallas has a knee problem, Ledley King is out for the rest of the season because he needs groin surgery, and Jonathan Woodgate and Younes Kaboul are injured.

Wigan is last in the Premier League but is the only side to have beaten Tottenham at White Hart Lane in this season’s Premier League.

“We started the year with six central defenders and now we have two,” Redknapp said. “It’s a nightmare.”

Tottenham trails fourth-place Manchester City by four points. Third-place Chelsea is a point further ahead and is at Stoke on Saturday.

The Blues also have the Champions League quarterfinals to prepare for, but have an extra day and no distance to travel before Wednesday’s European meeting with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s squad is also in better shape than Tottenham’s, with midfielder Yossi Benayoun on course to play his first game for the Blues in six months after making his comeback from an Achilles’ injury in Israel’s 1-0 win over Georgia on Tuesday.

City hosts Sunderland on Sunday, when Blackpool is at Fulham.

Manchester United, which leads second-place Arsenal by five points, resumes its bid for a record 19th English title by returning to West Ham and the scene of its biggest loss this season.

West Ham’s 4-0 win in November in the League Cup quarterfinals was one of only four losses for United this season.

Defenders Rio Ferdinand, Rafael da Silva, Jonny Evans and John O’Shea are all out, but United manager Alex Ferguson should be able to call upon Nemanja Vidic after the captain recovered from a calf problem.

“I grew up an Everton fan, so to be part of the team to overtake Liverpool’s record would be brilliant,” United striker Wayne Rooney said. “It would mean so much to us players as well as the fans.”

Also Saturday, Arsenal hosts Blackburn, Liverpool is at West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa is at Everton, Bolton is at Birmingham and Wolverhampton Wanderers is at Newcastle.

Labels: heads, Injuryhit, reluctantly, Tottenham, Wigan