COBHAM: Chelsea signed Brazilian international midfielder Ramires on Friday but their pursuit of his compatriot Neymar is not going quite as smoothly.Ramires, who helped Benfica to the Portuguese title last season, will bolster a Chelsea squad which has been stripped of experienced

LONDON: Premier League managers face an extra headache this season as they try to adapt to a new rule, described as "stupid" by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, which requires all top-flight teams to pick from a strict 25-man squad.A Premier League edict brought in to encourage the development

DAMBULLA: Upul Tharanga guided Sri Lanka to a three-wicket victory over New Zealand with a solid half-century in the triangular one-day series on Friday.The left-handed opener hit nine fours in his 109-ball 70 as Sri Lanka achieved a 193-run target with more than nine overs to spare in

LONDON: Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed stepped up his bid to buy Premier League club Blackburn Rovers after his Western Gulf Advisory (WGA) investment vehicle was given a four-week period of exclusivity to check the club`s accounts.Citigate Dewe Rogerson, which looks after WGA`s public

MANCHESTER: England Brazil striker Robinho has been included in Manchester City`s 25-man squad list for the new season despite his long-held desire to remain at Santos where he has been on loan.Roberto Mancini confirmed Robinho`s inclusion at a news conference on Friday. "He came back

RIO DE JANEIRO: Santos plan to report Chelsea to soccer`s world governing body FIFA for what they claim has been an illegal approach to their teenage striker Neymar, the Brazilian club said on Thursday.Santos have already turned down two official offers for the 18-year-old, who scored on

MARSEILLE: A tense standoff was developing between Olympique Marseille and their France midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa on Friday with the player saying he was desperate to leave the Ligue 1 champions while the club insisted he was staying.Ben Arfa wants to move to Premier League side Newcastle

LONDON: Chelsea are reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfield starlet Neymar, who could join compatriot and fellow international Ramires at Stamford Bridge.Midfielder Ramires is expected to be announced as the club`s latest signing on Thursday or Friday, when he completes a 22

NEW DELHI: Fast bowler Munaf Patel will join India`s squad for the remaining matches of the ongoing triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka, officials said on Thursday."Munaf Patel is joining the Indian team in Sri Lanka as an additional member of the squad. He will reach Dambulla

LONDON: England coach Fabio Capello admitted he called time on David Beckham`s international career on Wednesday without first breaking the bad news to the star.Beckham was unable to play in the World Cup due to an Achilles injury suffered while on loan at AC Milan in March, but the LA

ROME: Following seven games without a win, no victories in 2010 and their dismal showing at the World Cup, Daniele De Rossi admitted that Italian football is in crisis.A new-look Italy began the Cesare Prandelli era with a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in London on Tuesday night as the new

COPENHAGEN: Danish substitute Mads Junker inspired Denmark to come from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw against World Cup semi-finalists Germany on Wednesday.Junker created one for veteran Dennis Rommedahl and scored the leveller four minutes from time after Germany had gone 2-0 up through

LONDON: England bounced back from the nadir of their dismal World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hungary in a friendly Wednesday which suggested the future might not be as bleak as it seemed for Fabio Capello`s men.Two superb goals from skipper Steven Gerrard in three minutes in the

MASON: Ohio Russia`s Elena Dementieva lost 6-1 6-3 to compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round of the rain-hit Cincinnati Open Wednesday, but Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters both advanced to the third round.Fourth seed Clijsters comfortably defeated another former world

TORONTO: Top seed Rafael Nadal battled out a marathon tiebreaker on Wednesday to reach the Toronto Masters third round, downing Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (14/12), 6-3.The first-set decider tied the record of the longest ever played by the Spaniard, who went the same distance in 2009 but lost

MEXICO CITY: Newly-crowned World Cup champions Spain played to a 1-1 draw with Mexico on Wednesday in a friendly international at Azteca Stadium marking the bicentennial of Mexican independence.Manchester United`s Javier Hernandez put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute, and it wasn`t

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina`s soccer chief Julio Grondona broke his word when the ruling body did not renew World Cup coach Diego Maradona`s contract, striker Carlos Tevez said on Tuesday."Mr Grondona said Maradona could do what he liked (after the World Cup)," Tevez said, adding the AFA

SHEBOYGAN: Golfer Phil Mickelson revealed on Tuesday he has been diagnosed with a severe form of arthritis that attacks the body`s immune system and in his case left him unable to even get out of bed.The reigning Masters champion said doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota are treating

TORONTO: Andy Roddick`s season hit another low on Tuesday as the 2003 champion withdrew with illness from the Toronto Masters.The one-time number one, now ranked 11th, foreshadowed the news a week ago as he lost in the third round in Washington, saying he was feeling unwell.His summer

SINGAPORE: FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday defended the scheduling of international matches this week just days ahead of the European football season, telling critics to stop making so much "noise".Virtually all European nations will be in action on Wednesday, with England facing