Pizarro denies 'agent' claims:CHELSEA STRIKER Claudio Pizarro insists he has done nothing wrong amid reports he could face a two-year ban for acting as an agent.
The Peruvian, currently on a season-long loan at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, is being investigated for his involvement in the deal which saw Bremen sign his compatriot Roberto Silva in 2001.
It is against FIFA rules for an active player to act as an agent, and – in the worst case scenario – Pizarro could be banned for 24 months.
Bremen chairman Jurgen L Born is also suspected of having profited from the deal and has stepped down from his post while the investigation takes place.
But Pizarro claims he is innocent and is not letting the reports get to him ahead of tonight’s s Uefa Cup last-16 second leg at St Etienne.
“It is a load of rubbish,” said the 30-year-old, who spent two years at Bremen from 1999.
“The whole thing does not bother me on the pitch at all.”
Eleven nations bid to host World Cup
FIFA HAS confirmed the 11 candidates to make official bids to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 after the deadline for applications passed on Monday.
Nine are interested in staging the tournament in either 2018 or 2022, while two are just bidding for 2022. Those to apply for both were England, Russia, Australia, the US, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia and joint bids from Portugal-Spain and Netherlands-Belgium.
Qatar and South Korea have applied to host the 2022 tournament only. All 11 candidates had already announced their intention to stage the game’s showpiece event, with Monday’s announcement confirming that Fifa has received their bid registration forms. The next stage for the applicants is to submit their bidding agreements by December 11th, with Fifa’s 24-man executive committee choosing the winning candidates in December 2010.
Jones escapes punishment
WEST BROM centre-back Jonas Olsson has escaped English FA punishment following a clash which left West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green requiring smelling salts.
Green was caught by Olsson’s elbow during Monday’s stalemate at Upton Park on Monday but referee Mark Halsey looked at the incident again and told the FA he would not have given a red card.
Hammers goalkeeper Green needed lengthy treatment and bit a small part of his tongue off after attempting to claim a cross which was headed against the crossbar by Shelton Martis.
Martis made his first Premier League start on Monday night andthe Dutchman is looking to extend his run in the team against Bolton at the weekend.
I hope so, but hopefully we can go and win against Bolton and push on from there really and just gather more points, Martis said.
Former West Brom boss Gary Megson will be facing his former club when Bolton make the trip to The Hawthorns.
Sheffield players to sue West Ham for lost earnings
SHEFFIELD UNITED players are seeking compensation from West Ham United for loss of earnings, their lawyer said yesterday in a fresh twist in the long-running dispute over Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.
On Monday, the clubs reached an out-of-court settlement for compensation to seemingly end the row that was sparked by Sheffield United’s relegation from the Premier League in 2007.
Sheffield United sought payment because Tevez, deemed to have had a key role in West Ham’s top-flight survival that year, was ineligible to play for the London club under league rules regarding third-party ownership. He is now at Manchester United.
Despite the clubs’ settlement, some members of Sheffield United’s 2007 squad are pursuing personal compensation.
“I have been in correspondence with the lawyers acting on behalf of West Ham FC for some time now,” stated players’ lawyer Chris Farnell.
“The players’ claim will continue irrespective of the settlement between the clubs.”
It is reported that some 20 players were seeking€4.5-€5.5 million in total. West Ham officials were not immediately available for comment.
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock also said he was seeking legal advice about making his own claim. “I just feel very bitter that Im not a Premiership manager still. I don’t think anything can compensate you for losing your Premier League status.”
Hiddink keen to maintain fight
GUUS HIDDINK has vowed to push Manchester United to the “bitter end” in the Premier League title race and also wants to guide Chelsea to Champions League glory.
Hiddink has guided the club to four league wins on the spin to put them within four points of Manchester United. “Manchester have a game in hand and they have a lot of experience of winning the title,” he said.
“All I can promise is Chelsea will fight to the bitter end.”
