Football corruption: 2 officials convicted
NEW YORK • A United States jury convicted two South American ex-football officials of corruption, with the pair remanded into custody in a New York trial.
The panel returned guilty verdicts against Jose Maria Marin, 85, former head of Brazil's Football Confederation and Juan Angel Napout, 59, former head of Paraguayan football, and will return on Tuesday to deliberate on the fate of a third defendant, former Peru boss Manuel Burga, 60.
Marin was convicted on six of seven counts, and Napout on three out of five, in connection with bestowing television and marketing rights to football matches.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Sevilla coach Berizzo gets the boot
MADRID • Sevilla sacked coach Eduardo Berizzo on Friday following a run of poor results, with the Argentinian departing a week after he returned to work following an operation to treat prostate cancer.
The LaLiga side added that discussions had already begun to appoint a new manager.
REUTERS
Nadal pulls out of tennis exhibition
BRISBANE • World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from his planned season opener at a Dec 28-30 tennis exhibition event in Abu Dhabi due to lingering fitness concerns, ahead of the Australian Open.
Nadal, 31, was forced to pull out of the season-ending ATP Masters last month due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Japan's Kei Nishikori has pulled out of the Brisbane International as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE