Sport in Europe | GlobalPost

Football: Benfica sign Serbia's Markovic

Agence France-PresseJune 11, 2013 08:32

Young Serbia forward Lazar Markovic, a league-title winner with Partizan Belgrade last season, has signed a five-year deal with Benfica, the Portuguese club have announced. "I know that I can develop and succeed in the Benfica team," the 19-year-old winger said on the web site of the Primeira Liga runners-up. No further details of the transfer were given. Markovic will join his compatriots Nemanja Matic and Filip Djuricic at the Portuguese club.

Football: Hiddink extends Anzhi contract

Agence France-PresseJune 11, 2013 07:32

Dutchman Guus Hiddink has extended his contract with Russia's big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala, the club said on Tuesday, after they achieved their best finish with third place in last season's championship. Anzhi said they had exercised their option to keep the 66-year-old coach for another year but provided no financial details. "Both sides exercise the old contract's option to their mutual satisfaction. I am glad," Anzhi board director Konstantin Remchyukov tweeted.

Football: Perfectionist Guardiola finetuning his German

Agence France-PresseJune 9, 2013 11:32

Pep Guardiola could well be fluent in German by the time he gives his first press conference as coach of Champions League winners Bayern Munich his brother Pere told Der Spiegel magazine. Pere, who is also the former Barcelona coach's manager, said his brother has been taking classes in German in New York, where he has been living in the past year, since last November. Pere revealed that so determined was his 42-year-old brother to master the language he brought his teacher to Spain when he returned there for the Easter break.

Football: Tearful Abidal ends Barcelona playing career

Agence France-PresseMay 30, 2013 08:33

A tearful Eric Abidal called an end to his six-year Barcelona playing career on Thursday, less than two months after returning to action from a liver transplant. "I am going, but I am sure I will be back" in another capacity, the French defender told a news conference at the club, which said it had offered him a role running the club's training schools. "I would have liked to continue playing for Barca, but the club sees things differently and I have to respect that, Abidal said, choking back tears.

RugbyU: British and Irish Lions team to face Barbarians

Agence France-PresseMay 30, 2013 02:15

British and Irish Lions team to face the Barbarians at Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday: 15-1 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors/SCO); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues/WAL), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets/WAL), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/WAL), Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors/SCO); Owen Farrell (Saracens/ENG), Mike Phillips (Bayonne/WAL); Toby Faletau (Dragons/WAL), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys/WAL), Dan Lydiate (Dragons/WAL); Paul O'Connell (capt - Munster/IRL), Richie Gray (SCO); Adam Jones (Ospreys/WAL), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys/WAL), Mako Vunipola (Saracens/ENG)

Football: Polonia Warsaw demoted over cash problems

Agence France-PresseMay 28, 2013 13:46

Historic Polish football club Polonia Warsaw were relegated from the country's top flight on Tuesday because of their disastrous financial situation, the Polish Football Federation (PZPN) announced. Polonia, crowned champions twice and two-time Cup winners since their creation in 1911, have failed to convince the federation that they have a credible plan although they have been in talks trying to find a solution to their problems. "The club is behind in paying wages to the players, social security payments and owe money to the taxman," read a statement on the PZPN website.

Real Madrid names Zidane as sporting director

Agencia EFEMay 28, 2013 13:15

Madrid, May 28 (EFE).- Zinedine Zidane, a three-time World Player of the Year, is the new sporting director at Real Madrid and will have a major say in personnel decisions, club president Florentino Perez said. The Blancos had earlier eliminated the sporting director post at the behest of coach Jose Mourinho, who wanted full control over the squad. But with the Portuguese manager's departure, management decided to revive the post, Perez told Cadena Ser radio.

RugbyU: Navidi, Warren drafted in by Wales

Agence France-PresseMay 28, 2013 10:06

Cardiff Blues flanker Josh Navidi and Scarlets centre Adam Warren have been called up by Wales for the forthcoming tour of Japan, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) announced on Tuesday. The duo replace Scarlets flanker Aaron Shingler and Ospreys back Ashley Beck, who have been ruled out by injury. Navidi is uncapped but was a member of Wales' Six Nations-winning squad earlier this year, while Warren made his international debut last year in a match against the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Football: Ibrahimovic future unclear if Ancelotti leaves

Agence France-PresseMay 26, 2013 13:30

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said Sunday that he doesn't know if he will stay with the French Ligue 1 champions next season if coach Carlo Ancelotti leaves at the end of the current campaign. "When they ask me what my future will be if Carlo leaves, I know nothing, it's not (an) easy (situation)," Ibrahimovic, who joined PSG last July and has two years left on his contract, told French television station TF1 in an interview.

Football: Match-winner Robben breaks finals hoodoo

Agence France-PresseMay 25, 2013 21:48

Match-winner Arjen Robben broke his finals hoodoo in style on Saturday as the flying Dutch winger's late strike gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final. In the past four years, Robben had played in two Champions League finals and one World Cup final, only to finish on the losing side on all three occasions, but was Bayern's hero at Wembley.