A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Carroll takes in a Greek odyssey
OLYMPIAKOS have completed the signing of former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll.The 34-year-old has signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with the Greek champions after impressing during a five-month spell at OFI Crete.
“I am very happy to come to such a club, it is a great honour for me to play for the best team in Greece,” former Northern Ireland keeper Carroll told Olympiakos’s official website.
Samba hits out at owners over 'broken promises'
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Christopher Samba has hit out at the Premier League club’s Indian owners Venky’s, claiming they “don’t understand” English football, as he continues to push for a move away from Ewood Park.
Samba requested a transfer earlier this month, claiming he had “given 100 per cent” to the club for five years and that “now is the right time for me to pursue a new challenge”. A move has so far failed to materialise, despite an offer from QPR and interest from Tottenham.
Samba said: “I signed a new deal last January because Venky’s told me they had big plans. Names like Ronaldinho were mentioned and they promised there was going to be a lot of investment in the team. It hasn’t happened.
“They don’t understand football in this country and they don’t realise how much I’ve given to Blackburn and that they have broken promises they have made. I stayed because I believed them but they weren’t honest with me and now I know I made the wrong decision.”
Tunisia and Gabon make quarter-finals
STRIKER Issam Jemaa came off the bench to score a last-minute winner and put Tunisia through to the African Nations Cup quarter-finals after a 2-1 victory over Niger yesterday.
Jemaa, an injury doubt before the tournament, won it on the stroke of full-time. It gave Tunisia a second Group C win after their 2-1 success over Morocco.
Debutants Niger, who showed a marked improvement from the side overwhelmed 2-0 by co-hosts Gabon in their first game on Monday, look virtually certain to exit the tournament.
Gabon are also through after a late goal from Bruno Zita Mbanangoye saw them beat Morocco 3-2. Mbanangoye came on as a substitute to score the winner with a free-kick in the fifth minute of added-time.
Officials angered with gay allegation
ENGLISH referee chiefs have been angered by suggestions they have prevented a gay official from speaking about his sexuality on a television documentary.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) believe the programme Britain’s Gay Footballers, which is due to be shown on BBC Three next Monday, effectively accuses them of gagging the official.
PGMOL have said they are writing to producers and the BBC urging them to correct a number of “factual errors” before the documentary is aired.
PGMOL, which oversees refereeing in the English professional game, do not allow officials to speak to the media on any subject – aside, occasionally, from matters of officiating – during the season.
They say it is for this reason alone that the official cannot speak.
Ex-England star declared bankrupt
FORMER England and Aston Villa footballer Lee Hendrie was declared bankrupt yesterday.
A petition for bankruptcy was brought against the midfielder by British Revenue and Customs on December 19th. The 34-year-old, who did not attend the hearing in London, has not paid back any of his debts.
The court heard that there had been no contact from Hendrie, no letters had been returned and no payments made. The court registrar said she was making the bankruptcy order “in the absence of any contact”.
Hendrie, who also played for Sheffield United, Leicester City and Blackpool and is now signed with Kidderminster Harriers, reportedly earned £24,000 (€28,500) a week at the height of his career.
The midfielder, who won his only England cap in 1998, was signed for Bandung FC in Indonesia last year on a two-year contract but returned before the end of 2011.
McCoist stands firm with Rangers
ALLY McCoist has moved to dismiss suggestions he could walk away from Rangers amid frustrations at financial restraints.
Rumours swept Glasgow in midweek that McCoist could quit as the Rangers manager with the club toiling to find wages even to fund free transfer signings and faltering behind Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.
The stories were apparently linked to a visit by the ex-chairman David Murray to Rangers’ training ground.
“It’s really poor. I know how rumours start with rubbish on the internet and all that stuff,” McCoist said. “It plain and simply came because the old chairman was in seeing the doctor. It was a private matter and then six of us sat and had a cup of tea and watched 10 minutes of a game.
“Listen, I didn’t think it was going to be a cakewalk and it is proving that. But I am absolutely fine and determined that we will get the best out of the players between now and the end of the season.”
