A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Liverpool close in on Henderson
JORDAN HENDERSON may become a Liverpool player before he departs for the European Under-21 Championship tomorrow, providing the club raise their offer for the Sunderland midfielder towards €22 million. Sunderland and Liverpool officials opened talks last week and there is acceptance at the Stadium of Light that the 20-year-old will leave if the €22 million valuation Steve Bruce, the manager, has placed on the midfielder is met.
Liverpool are understood to have increased their initial offer of €14.5 million to around €18 million over the weekend. Sunderland rejected both bids but another improved offer from Liverpool may secure Kenny Dalglish the first of several major transfers expected this summer.
Abramovich reluctant to pay compensation
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH believes Turkey were preparing to sack Guus Hiddink before Chelsea showed interest in re-hiring him – and the Chelsea owner is therefore reluctant to compensate the Turkish Football Federation for the full value of the remaining 12 months on Hiddink’s contract, a figure of €4.5 million. Yet the fact that compensation will be demanded is one of the reasons why Abramovich can be so confident of taking the Dutchman back to Stamford Bridge.
Hiddink’s Turkey team secured a 1-1 draw away to Belgium on Friday night to remain in contention for a play-off place for the European Championship next summer. They are one point behind second-placed Belgium, having played a game fewer. Yet Abramovich had been led to believe Turkey were not satisfied with Hiddink and he thought that, if they did not want the Dutchman, there should be no fundamental problem in appointing him Chelsea manager.
Salmon the hero for Longford
MARK SALMON pounced with an 80th minute winner after his penalty was initially saved by Paul Hunt to put Longford Town into the next round of the Ford FAI Cup by overcoming their First Division rivals Finn Harps in an absorbing third round replay at rain-soaked Finn Park last night.
A crowd of 461 saw the best game of the season at the Ballybofey venue with both teams fully committed in an old fashioned, end-to-end cup-tie. Harps had to cope without star striker Kevin McHugh, who was suspended having been sent off in Friday’s scoreless first game. Longford were awarded the 80th minute penalty after Ciaran Coll pushed Lee Roche inside the box. Salmon’s spot-kick was saved but he followed up to stab home the loose ball.
FINN HARPS: Gallagher; McLaughlin, Cowan, Mailey, Coll; Forker, McAlwee, Bonner, Harkin; Brolly, Friel (Curtis 72 mins).
LONGFORD TOWN: Rouse (Hunt 27 mins); Deans, Collins, Hope, Cronin; Cowan (O’Reilly 81 mins), Walsh, Hyland, Salmon; Skelly (Oladele 24 mins), Roche.
Referee: J McLaughlin (Monaghan)
Rooney shows hair transplant
MANCHESTER UNITED striker Wayne Rooney has posted the first picture of his new hair transplant on Twitter.
The follically-challenged forward confirmed to his followers on Saturday that he was having the treatment.
“Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25 why not.
“I’m delighted with the result,” he told fans on the social networking site.
Placido Domingo gets role with Fifa
SEPP BLATTER has announced that Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo is his choice to advise Fifa on their problems.
Domingo will join 88-year-old former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and ex-Holland international Johann Cruyff as Fifa’s advisers.
Blatter told CNN: “These gentlemen are more or less advisers, they are not the experts but advisers. They should be a kind of ‘council of wisdom’.
MIROSLAV KLOSE is being linked with a move to Valencia after Bayern Munich confirmed his contract will not be extended.
The Germany striker is understood to have rejected Bayern’s offer of a one-year deal with the option of an extra 12 months having spent most of last season on the bench.
Klose is believed to have wanted a two-year deal and was demanding a higher salary than Bayern were prepared to offer him.
Ancelotti to take a year out of game
CARLO ANCELOTTI has confirmed he will take a one-year sabbatical from coaching after being dismissed by Chelsea last month.
The Italian had one year left on his contract with the Blues but was sacked on the final day of the campaign after two seasons in charge.
Ancelotti has been linked with the coaching position of newly-promoted QPR, who are managed by Neil Warnock, as well as the vacancies at Fulham and Aston Villa. He has also been a reported target of Serie A club Roma, for whom he enjoyed great success as a player.
“I have not been contacted by any club in England and I have not spoken to Roma. It is all fantasy.
“Besides a six-month break, I have been coaching non-stop since 1995. I will take a year off and look around, study how my colleagues work.”
