Monday 6 April 2015

Turkey league suspended after attack

Source:bbc.co.uk
Turkey's SuperLig and domestic cup matches have
been suspended for one week after the Fenerbahce
team bus was shot at by a gunman on Saturday.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced
the decision after a meeting with the sports minister
on Monday.
"We believe the incident was a terrorist attack,
targeting not only Fenerbahce but Turkish sports,"
said TFF chairman Yildirim Demiroren.
"We decided to postpone all league and cup games
for a week."
Fenerbahce players and staff
assess the damage
Champions Fenerbahce were travelling to Trabzon
airport, following their 5-1 victory over Rizespor,
when the shooting happened.
The driver was taken to hospital but no players
were injured in the attack.
In a statement on the TFF website, sports
minister Akif Cagatay Kilic said the bus driver,
named as Ufuk Kiran, was "recovering quickly".
Fenerbahce had called for the league to be
suspended saying: "We think it's unavoidable to
suspend the league until this dark attack is
enlightened."
History of trouble
August 2011: Fenerbahce withdrawn from the
2011-12 Champions League by the TFF while
they were being investigated for match-fixing.
September 2011: TFF ban men from attending
Fenerbahce matches after violence during a
friendly.
May 2012: Hundreds of Fenerbahce fans riot
after a derby match against Galatasaray.
May 2013: Fenerbahce fan reportedly stabbed to
death after Istanbul derby.
June 2013: Fenerbache banned for two years
from competing in Europe by Uefa for their
involvement in domestic match-fixing.
March 2014: Match against Trabzonspor
abandoned in the first half after crowd trouble.
Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike said he and
his team-mates had been left stunned by what
happened.
"The word 'shot' came as a big shock," the Nigeria
international told BBC Sport. "But when we saw
blood and the shattered driver's side window, it
quickly turned into a scary moment for everyone on
the bus."
Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor are banned from
taking away fans when they play each other and a
game between the sides last season at the Avni
Aker Stadium in Trabzon was abandoned after
objects were thrown on to the pitch.
Fenerbahce, who have former Premier League
players Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles and Emre
Belozoglu in their side, are the defending champions
of the SuperLig and have won the major domestic
competition 19 times.
They are two points behind Galatasaray in second
place with eight games left this season and were
due to play fourth-placed Bursapor on 13 April.
Their Turkish Cup quarter-final against Mersin
İdman Yurdu on Tuesday had already been
postponed following the attack.

EPL Goal of the season in one weekend?

Source: bbc.co.uk

A host of stunning goals were
scored in the Premier League
this weekend
Jermain Defoe's stunning winner for Sunderland in
their derby win over Newcastle joined a list of
wonder goals scored in the Premier League over
the weekend.
Together with Charlie Adam's 65-yard strike, Bobby
Zamora's lob, Wayne Rooney's volley, Bafetimbi
Gomis's acrobatic effort and Alexis Sanchez's
thunderbolt, we could almost put together a list of
goal of the season contenders in one week.
BBC Sport takes a look at the goals that were
scored, asks which was the best and reports the
reaction they all brought. Here are the results.
1: Adam from his own half. Vote result - 42.2%
Stoke City midfielder Charlie
Adam spotted Chelsea
goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
off his line and from inside his
own half, about 65 yards out,
he struck the ball over the
keeper's head and into the
net
Pundit reaction:
Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage on BBC
Radio 5 live: "Charlie Adam's goal is better than
David Beckham's. Beckham was just outside his
own half but Adam is outside the centre circle. It is
about 65 yards and he has driven it like a wood
over the goalkeeper."
Ex-Stoke City winger Matthew Etherington on BBC
Radio Stoke: "Charlie Adam's tried that nine or 10
times before but it has come off today. He's had an
absolute stinker in this first half but that will go
down as one of the best goals in Premier League
history. I won't see many better in my lifetime.
Absolutely unbelievable."
Social media:
Chris Mitchell via #bbcfootball: Stunning hit from
Adam. An absolute worldy. QPR's Matt Phillips the
only person who didn't jump up the minute it hit the
net!!
Haider Munir via #bbcfootball: What a day for
amazing goals. Ozil, Zamora, Sanchez, Rooney and
the best of the bunch, Charlie Adam.
Niki Trueman on the Match of the Day Facebook
page: Better than Beckham and Rooney. Goal of
the season.
2: Defoe's volley. Vote result - 16.3%
Sunderland striker Jermain
Defoe watched the ball drop
out of the air before volleying
with his weaker left foot into
the roof of the net from 20
yards against Newcastle
Pundit reaction:
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright on 606: "Defoe's
goal was brilliant. It is the kind of goal that gets you
off your seat and that he is capable of scoring."
Ex-Scotland winger Pat Nevin on BBC Radio 5 live:
"Defoe's goal is up there in the pantheon of the best
he has scored. Put three goalkeepers in that goal
and that is not getting saved."
Social media:
Raman Chettiar via #bbcfootball: Come on guys
Defoe's goal has got to be up there with Tony
Yeboah's goal for Leeds.
Dan McCartney via #bbcfootball: Defoe scoring
the 4th best goal of the weekend and getting into
the top 10 for the season simultaneously.
Greg Matthews via #bbcfootball: Great goal
Defoe, but it is struggling to make top 3 this
weekend. Been incredible really.
3: Rooney's shot on the turn. Vote result - 15.1%
Manchester United striker
Wayne Rooney controlled the
ball with a sublime first touch
before swivelling and
volleying past goalkeeper
Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad
Guzan
Pundit reaction:
Ex-England winger Chris Waddle on BBC Radio 5
live: "You won't see a better goal this season than
Wayne Rooney's for Manchester United. That is
absolutely phenomenal. It was an awkward ball to
bring down, but as it bounces Rooney swivels and
fires the ball into the top corner. The ball is still
very high but he gets right on top of the ball. What a
fantastic goal."
Social media:
IAMstan via #bbcfootball : Absolute stonkers in
the league this weekend. My pick Wazza's goal.
Peter Malath via #bbcfootball: What a goal!
Wayne Rooney. Goal of the day nomination now, all
Arsenal four plus this one.
Kenny Kong via #bbcfootball: Rooney celebrating
as if he was Cantona, after that goal if was only fair
enough, great control and technique.
4: Zamora's dink. Vote result - 13.3%
QPR's former Fulham striker
Bobby Zamora lobbed West
Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill
with the outside of his left
boot from the angle of the 18-
yard box
Pundit reaction:
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas on
Final Score: "Bobby Zamora's strike is definitely up
there for goal of the season. We spoke about Matty
Phillips's goal at Crystal Palace but Zamora's is up
there."
BBC Football Focus presenter Dan Walker: "Lovely
goal from Bobby Zamora for QPR's third. Off the bar
and everything. Even got a single clap from MOTD
pundit Ruud Gullit."
Social media:
Craig Malpass via #bbcfootball: Any goal from
half-way looks good but isn't as technically
impressive as the likes of Zamora's or Defoe's.
Bobby wins it for me.
Theo Bearman via #bbcfootball: From a QPR fan,
Zamora's goal yesterday has to be GOTS. Tight
angle with a player on him with his outside left boot;
magical.
Harry Boustead via #bbcfootball: Adam & Rooney
both great goals yesterday but done before. Bobby
Zamora's was the stand out goal, pure skill.
5: Sanchez's thunderbolt. Vote result - 11.4%
Arsenal forward Alexis
Sanchez picked the ball up 25
yards out from goal before
firing an unstoppable shot into
the top corner against
Liverpool
Pundit reaction:
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on BBC
Radio 5 live: "That is a stunning, stunning goal and
it is done at breakneck speed. He must have ABS
brakes the way he turns inside Kolo Toure. The
speed of his feet... he has hit it in a flash. That is as
good a goal as you will see all season."
Social media reaction:
Cooper via #bbcfootball: So many good goals
this weekend. Adam, Defoe, Zamora, Rooney,
Cambiasso, Vargas and all of the Arsenal goals.
Daniel Osunbor via #bbcfootball: Sanchez is
better than Hazard. Brilliant goal.
Bishop Yinkus via #bbcfootball: Sanchezzzzzz
what a screamer of a goallllll
6: Gomis's acrobatics. Vote result - 1.7%
Swansea striker Bafetimbi
Gomis threw himself
acrobatically into the air to
powerfully volley home a
loose ball against Hull City
Pundit reaction:
Former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks: "Here is a
player who is taking complete advantage of the
departure of Wilfried Bony to Manchester City and
filling the void admirably. He took both his goals
extremely well."
Social media:
Dan Wade via #bbcfootball: Best weekend for
goals ever? Just need a Yannick Bolasie backheel
volley from his own penalty area now.
Callum Shaw via #bbcfootball: Are all of April's
goal of the month contenders going to be from this
weekend? Wouldn't be surprised. This is insane!
Huw Rowlands on the Match of the Day Facebook
page: Two awesome goals yesterday! Well done
our Bafe.

Saturday 4 April 2015

4th April Europe top leagues results

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE (EPL) Standings »
Full time
ARSENAL 4 - 1 LIVERPOOL
Full time
EVERTON 1 - 0 SOUTHAMPTON
Full time
LEICESTER CITY 2 - 1 WEST HAM
UNITED
Full time
MAN UNITED 3 - 1 ASTON VILLA
Full time
SWANSEA CITY 3 - 1 HULL
Full time
WEST BROMWICH
ALBION
1 - 4 QPR
Full time
CHELSEA 2 - 1 STOKE CITY
LA LIGA Standings »
Full time
SEVILLA 2 - 0 BILBAO
Full time
CORDOBA 0 - 2 ATLÉTICO DE
MADRID
Full time
ALMERIA 1 - 4 LEVANTE
Full time
MALAGA 1 - 1 REAL SOCIEDAD
1. BUNDESLIGA Standings »
Full time
BAYER
LEVERKUSEN
4 - 0 HSV
Full time
WOLFSBURG 3 - 1 VFB STUTTGART
Full time
TSG 1899
HOFFENHEIM
1 - 4 MÖNCHENGLADBA
Full time
WERDER BREMEN 0 - 0 MAINZ
Full time
EINTRACHT
FRANKFURT
2 - 2 HANNOVER 96
Full time
SC FREIBURG 1 - 0 FC KOLN
Full time
BORUSSIA
DORTMUND
0 - 1 FC BAYERN
MÜNCHEN
SERIE A Standings »
Full time
ROMA 1 - 0 NAPOLI
Full time
HELLAS VERONA 3 - 3 CESENA
Full time
SASSUOLO 1 - 0 CHIEVO
Full time
CAGLIARI 1 - 3 LAZIO
Full time
PALERMO 1 - 2 MILAN
Full time
INTER 1 - 1 PARMA
Full time
ATALANTA 1 - 2 TORINO
Full time
GENOA 1 - 1 UDINESE
Full time
FIORENTINA 2 - 0 SAMPDORIA
Full time
JUVENTUS 2 - 0 EMPOLI
LIGUE 1 Standings »
Full time
EA GUINGAMP 1 - 3 OLYMPIQUE
LYONNAIS
Full time
LILLE OSC 3 - 1 STADE DE REIMS
Full time
FC LORIENT 0 - 3 RENNES
Full time
METZ 3 - 2 TOULOUSE FC
Full time
MONTPELLIER
HERAULT SC
3 - 1 SC BASTIA
Full time
OGC NICE 2 - 2 EVIAN THONON
GAILLAR
EREDIVISIE Standings »
Full time
FC ZWOLLE 1 - 0 WILLEM II
Full time
VITESSE A 1 - 1 FC GRONINGEN
Full time
SC HEERENVEEN 0 - 0 NAC BREDA
Full time
FC DORDRECHT 2 - 3 HERACLES
ALMELO
Full time
FC TWENTE 0 - 5 PSV XI

Manchester United 3-1 ASton Villa

Wayne Rooney was on target with a stunning strike
and Ander Herrera scored twice as in-form
Manchester United beat Premier League struggler
Aston Villa 3-1 to move above neighbor
Manchester City into third place.
Midfielder Herrera fired home with his left foot just
before the break at Old Trafford on Saturday to
put Louis van Gaal's side on course for a fifth
consecutive top-flight win.
Rooney then doubled United's lead with a sublime
finish before Herrera added his second goal in
stoppage time to seal victory after Christian
Benteke had given Villa brief hope immediately
after Rooney's stunner.
The home side was a deserved winner and is now
a point above City — which plays Crystal Palace on
Monday — ahead of next Sunday's derby with the
champions and a clash with first-place Chelsea
the following weekend.
Defeat for Villa leaves it without a victory over
United in its last 12 attempts and Tim Sherwood's
side is now just three points ahead of third-bottom
QPR, which beat West Brom on Saturday and
travels to Villa Park on Tuesday.
Van Gaal made only one change to his starting
lineup, with Marcos Rojo replacing Chris Smalling
at the heart of the United defense. On-loan Tom
Cleverley was ineligible to face his parent club, so
Carlos Sanchez came into the Villa side. Matt
Lowton and Andreas Weimann replaced Leandro
Bacuna and Scott Sinclair.
United made a blistering start and Rooney was
furious with referee Roger East for failing to award
an early penalty when he appeared to be brought
down by Ciaran Clark.
Villa was struggling to live with the home side's
intensity and Juan Mata's goal-bound shot was
well blocked by Clark after Ashley Young had
tormented his former club with a great run down
the left.
Rojo almost marked his recall with a goal 23
minutes in, but the Argentina international's long-
range strike was brilliantly tipped over the
crossbar by the agile Brad Guzan.
Villa defended resolutely, but it came as no
surprise when it fell behind two minutes before
halftime courtesy of a well-worked goal from
Herrera.
The Spanish midfielder was left unmarked in the
penalty area and punished Villa by drilling into the
far corner with his left foot after Daley Blind had
cut the ball back from the end line.
Marouane Fellaini ought to have doubled United's
lead just after the hour mark, but the unmarked
Belgium midfielder headed the ball down into the
ground and Guzan palmed the effort behind.
Rooney did give the Red Devils breathing room 11
minutes from time, though, sticking out his left leg
to control substitute Angel di Maria's cross before
swiveling to fire into the top corner of the net with
his right boot.
United had barely finished celebrating when it was
caught napping on a corner and Benteke fired
under David de Gea, who will not want to see a
replay of his attempted save.
But any hopes of Villa snatching a point were
ended when Herrera swept a shot home from the
edge of the area after fellow Spaniard Mata had
spotted his surging run in stoppage time

Thursday 2 April 2015

Bhullar becomes the first player of indian origin in NBA

Sim Bhullar  was signed by Sacramento Kings on
a 10-day contract on Thursday. (Source: Reuters)
Americans are used to seeing Indian brains
dominate Silicon Valley, but to watch 7 ft 5 inches
of Indian-descent brawn stomp on Californian
basketball courts will be something new.
Sim Bhullar, a 22-year-old Canadian basketball
player of Indian origin, Thursday signed a 10-day
contract with the Sacramento Kings, and is set to
become the first player of Indian descent to be on
an NBA team’s regular season roster when the
Kings play New Orleans Pelicans early Saturday
morning (0730 IST).
Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro
confirmed the development, and triggered a wave
of Twitter enquiries — the hashtag #simsanity
began to trend soon after news broke in the US of a
likely debut at the Kings’ home Sleep Train Centre
arena.
Bhullar, who wears size 22 shoes and has a
wingspan of 8’2”, has had to bide his time after the
Kings’ Indian-origin owner Vivek Ranadive brought
the Toronto teenager to sunny California. Bhullar
donned the jersey of the Reno, Nevada-based Reno
Bighorns in the development league of the NBA,
and has been working on his fitness and game
skills ever since.
Off court, both peers and opponents have been
curious. The first question is nearly always on his
Indian heritage — Bhullar’s parents had moved to
Toronto from their native Punjab before he was
born. The second question is on his towering frame
— and mostly more of a comment. “They’re always
quite shocked to see how tall I am. And then they
say — ‘Indian?’” he says.
While Gursimran — Sim’s full name — has faced
the attention, his mother has had a different set of
problems at their home. “She’s had to change the
height of all the doorways at home a couple of
times. Eventually she settled for eight feet once
Tanveer and I stopped growing,” Sim told The
Indian Express.
Tanveer, Bhullar’s younger brother, is only two
inches shorter at 7’3”, and their elder sister is 6’1”.
Their father is 6’5”, and their mother 5’10”.
Sim took up basketball in school, and earned two
MVP awards playing for New Mexico State
University at the Western Athletic Conference —
which earned him the call to the Sacramento Kings
NBA team. Though he went undrafted initially at the
2014 NBA draft, franchise owner Ranadive decided
to offer the youngster a contract.
With the Kings currently fourth among the five
teams in the Pacific Division — and the 13th among
15 in Western Conference — and out of contention
for the playoffs, Bhullar’s chances of making the
first team are bright.
Although he is a Canadian national, Sim is always
being told about how he will be the first player with
an Indian background to make it big in the NBA.
“I’ve always been the ‘first Indian,’ or the ‘only
Indian’, so it’s something that hasn’t really given
me any new feeling of pressure,” he says.
Followers and well-wishers on social media boost
his confidence: “I keep getting messages on
Twitter and Facebook. It’s a great feeling to see so
many people treat me like a role model,” he adds.
Bhullar says his parents have been waiting to see
him in a Kings jersey ever since he was drafted by
the franchise last year. He has spent more time
away from home on basketball duty, but the way he
leads his life hasn’t changed, Bhullar says.
“I still enjoy spending time with my parents at
home. I still go to the gurdwara every week, and I
speak in Punjabi often,” he says.
Bhullar will have little time at home for the next 10
days, but won’t mind that. “It is the target,” he
says. And with brother Tanveer doing well too, he
may have company in the big league in the coming
years.
“He wants to improve,” Sim says of his 20-year-
old younger brother. “He has been playing well, and
has just won the regular season conference for his
college.”
Should Tanveer too make the ranks, the pair will
set another ‘first Indian origin’ record. But for now,
Sim’s target is to make it to the marquee ranks. He
has often been invited to Sacramento to meet fans.
This time around, he will be in Sacramento for
bigger, better reasons.

Los Blancos target Aguero

Real Madrid are happy to break the bank in order
to sign Manchester City striker Sergio
Aguero this summer , says Le 10 Sport .
The European champions are hoping to offload
Karim Benzema, as well as ending Javier
Hernandez's loan spell at the Santiago Bernabeu
at the end of the season, leaving a hole to fill in
their attack.

Rodgers: Sterling going nowhere

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling will not be
leaving the club in the summer despite a
breakdown in talks over a new deal, says manager
Brendan Rodgers.
The 20-year-old told BBC Sport he is motivated by
trophies not money after rejecting a £100,000-a-
week contract.
"Liverpool are one of the superpowers of football
and if the owners don't want to sell, they don't have
to," said Rodgers.
Sterling has two years left on a contract worth
£35,000 a week.
Rodgers added: "Concentration should be on his
football. If his ambition is to win trophies that's
aligned with what we do here."
The Liverpool boss added that the club had not
given him permission to speak to BBC Sport and
that he thought it was a "mistake" to carry out the
interview.
"There was no permission from us," he said. "He
will learn. We all make mistakes in life, especially
when we are young.
"I think the kid has tried to put off all talk about
contract and money. For now hopefully the focus
will be on football."
Sterling, who joined the Reds from QPR in 2010,
says he will not discuss a new contract with the
Reds until the summer.
"I just want to take the time to think about what I've
achieved in my career so far, where I need to go
and what I need to do to get better as a player," he
said.
Newspaper reports have linked him with moves to
Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid and
Bayern Munich.
But Rodgers said that he and Sterling were "relaxed
about the situation".
"This is one of the great clubs of the footballing
world and, for Raheem, to be playing here it's an
honour," added Rodgers. "He understands that, he
sees that."
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, who
won five league titles and a European Cup with the
club, said Sterling is not yet good enough for the top
clubs in Europe.
"He's 20 and not going to Real Madrid or Barcelona
or Paris St-Germain," Lawrenson told BBC Sport.
"He's not at that level and he has a lot of work to
do."

Morocco win appeal over Afcon bans

Morocco have won their appeal against their bans
from the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
tournaments.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has overturned
the ruling made by the Confederation of African
Football after Morocco did not host the 2015 finals.
It has also reduced a fine imposed on Morocco's
FA (FRMF) from US$1m (£675,000) to $50,000
(£34,000).
However, Caf's order for FRMF to pay 8m euros
(US$8.7m, £5.85m) in damages "may be examined
by another jurisdiction".
Caf claims it suffered final losses because of the
relocation of the 2015 finals from Morocco to
Equatorial Guinea - only two months before the
start of the event.
Morocco wanted to postpone the tournament
because of the outbreak of Ebola in Africa but their
request was rejected by Caf, who, as well as
moving the event to Equatorial Guinea, expelled the
team from taking part.
In February African football's governing body
further punished Morocco, whose football
federation responded by saying it "rejects all of
these sports and financial sanctions" and lodged an
appeal with Cas.
After winning the appeal, FRMF vice-president
Nourredine Bouchhati said the Cas decision was
"excellent news".
"It puts an end for now to this conflict with Caf, with
which we will continue to work with normally,'' he
told local media. "Now we will meet with national
coach Baddou Zaki to begin our program of preparations....
SOURCE:bbc
preparations."

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes deal could be worth £27m a year

Lewis Hamilton on the podium in Malaysia

 

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes deal could be worth £27m a year

World champion Lewis Hamilton expects to sign a new Mercedes contract this week that could be worth more than £27m a year.
The 30-year-old Briton, who has been handling negotiations with team bosses himself, says talks are complete and the deal is being finalised by lawyers.
Hamilton said: "It should be done this week. There is no reason it shouldn't.
"Honestly, it's 99.6% done. There's no negotiating left, it's just legal stuff."
BBC Sport has learned Hamilton, who joined Mercedes in 2013 after six years with McLaren, will earn about the same as he did under his first contract with the German team - a basic salary, paid in US dollars, of $31m (£20.9m) plus extensive bonuses.
Depending on how many races he wins, and whether he becomes world champion, these bonuses could easily take his annual earnings well over $40m (£27m).

Hamilton - the £27m man

Should Hamilton earn £27m in a year, he would have made £3,082 per hour, £51.36 per minute, 86p per second or more than £7 in the time it took you to read this sentence.
The overall value of Hamilton's deal is fundamentally similar to F1's two other big earners and multiple champions, McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso is being paid $40m a year by McLaren and Honda for the duration of the three-year deal he has signed, which runs until 2017.
Vettel will earn a one-off $50m (£33.7m) in his first season with Ferrari in 2015 but less after that, according to senior sources.
The figure for this season is high because the German secured a deal that, for one year only, he would have all possible bonuses he could earn guaranteed, as a kind of golden handshake for joining the team.
After 2015, Vettel will revert to a basic salary of about $30m (£20.4m), with bonuses defined for wins and championship titles, according to sources close to Ferrari.
Hamilton, who leads the championship by three points from Vettel after two races this season, said the German's win for Ferrari in Malaysia on Sunday was a reminder that Mercedes would not have things their own way this year.
"It has given us a pinch to suggest, 'Oh, OK, we've got a race on our hands,'" he said.
"We're a racing team, and we will be quicker in the next race. We'll manage; we'll be absolutely fine.
Fernando Alonso
Alonso missed the first race of the season in Melbourne after a crash in pre-season testing
"Ferrari are too close to us in the championship, so we'll work very hard to analyse what we learned and apply it so it doesn't happen again at the next race."
Hamilton said that after Vettel's victory, his thoughts turned to Alonso, who left Ferrari at the end of last season after losing faith that they could provide him with a competitive car. Last season was Ferrari's least successful for 21 years.
Vettel was only able to join Ferrari for this season because Alonso left after five years with the team, negotiating an early exit from a contract that was intended to run until 2016.
McLaren are struggling this season, qualifying at the back largely because of the lack of competitiveness of the brand new Honda engine.
Hamilton said: "I was sitting next to Sebastian and I thought to myself: 'What is Fernando thinking?'
"I remember when I left McLaren and joined Mercedes, we were better the next year. I had a good feeling then.
"But he's almost done the opposite of what I did. It could have been him (winning in Malaysia). It's just strange how things turn out."

Forbes Sporting Rich List

Top of the table 2014 earnings
             FROM BBC
1. Floyd Mayweather (boxer)
$105m (£70.9m)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (footballer, Real Madrid)
$80m (£54m)
3. LeBron James (basketball player, Miami Heat)
$72.3m (£48.8m)
4. Lionel Messi (footballer, Barcelona)
$64.7m (£43.7m)
5. Kobe Bryant (basketball player, LA Lakers)
$61.5m (£41.5m)
14. Gareth Bale (footballer, Real Madrid)
$36.4m (£24.6m)
19. Lewis Hamilton (F1 driver, Mercedes)
$32m (£21.6m)
43. Wayne Rooney (footballer, Manchester United)
$23.4m (£15.8m)
86. Steven Gerrard (footballer, Liverpool)
$18.7m (£12.6m)

Fifa: Sepp Blatter ready to change, says Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

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1 April 2015 Last updated at 05:00 GMT

Fifa: Sepp Blatter ready to change, says Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is "ready to change", according to the man who represents more than 200 of Europe's leading football clubs.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who leads the European Club Association (ECA), says the head of football's world governing body has been stung by criticism.
The 59-year-old former West Germany international striker also believes Fifa is changing "in a good way".
Blatter, 79, is seeking a fifth consecutive term as Fifa president.
He is the favourite to triumph over three rival candidates - Luis Figo, Michael van Praag and Prince Ali of Jordan - in this year's presidential election.
"In discussions we've had I always had the impression he [Blatter] was a bit upset about the fact he is criticised by the media as a whole," Rummenigge told BBC Sport.
"He's ready to change. So I'm not so pessimistic about him. I'm quite optimistic that in Fifa things are changing in a good way."
That marks a radical change of opinion by Rummenigge given his previous call for "revolution" within Fifa's leadership. 

Sepp Blatter in focus

Born 10 March 1936, Switzerland
Has a degree in business administration and economics from the University of Lausanne
Played football in the Swiss amateur league
Fifa technical director from 1975-1981 and general secretary from 1981-1998
Was elected as the eighth Fifa president on 8 June, 1998
The German, who is also chief executive of the company which controls Bayern Munich, made his latest comments after announcing significant new deals with both Fifa and Uefa that will provide European clubs with more money and a bigger say in key negotiations.
Fifa announced in March that clubs will share £142m for providing players for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar respectively. That figure represents a trebling of the current contract.
The ECA has also reached an agreement with Uefa over Euro 2020, a tournament to be played across 13 different cities.
The new deal will see clubs share 8% of the income from broadcast rights, commercial takings, ticketing and hospitality.
A minimum payment has been set at 200m euros (£145m) - an increase of 50m euros (£36m) on the clubs' guaranteed share from Euro 2016 in France.
"I believe club football in Europe can be happy with the deals we've reached," said Rummenigge.
"We're still totally ready to support national team football and, in exchange, we're getting this kind of money and governance back, which is a huge step for the recognition of club football in Europe."
With two seats on the Uefa executive committee and a new mechanism for making his members' views heard within Fifa, Rummenigge is satisfied that the voice of the clubs - who provided 75% of players at last summer's Brazil World Cup - is being listened to.
The manner in which income is distributed amongst clubs competing in the Champions League and Europa League is also set to radically change, with a greater emphasis on solidarity payments for smaller teams.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge scored 45 goals in 95 appearances for West Germany
Despite the £5bn domestic TV deal struck recently by the Premier League, Rummenigge says he is not worried about English football's potential for financial domination.
The monetary gulf between England's top division and its continental rivals - which will widen further when its new three-season deal kicks in from 2016-17 - is amply demonstrated by the fact Bayern Munich received £30m for winning the Bundesliga last term while Cardiff City were awarded £62m after being relegated to the Championship.
Rummenigge now hopes the "fantastic" Premier League deal - which could surpass £8bn once sales to overseas broadcasters and online rights are concluded later this year - will spark a rise in income for other leagues, including the Bundesliga.
"I believe the English deal in the end will help us in Germany to get more money as well in the future.
"Football is, from the social point of view, from the interest in it and from the emotion, currently on the best level ever."
             FROM BBC

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