Other soccer news in brief
Tottenham secure Lennon's future as contract extended
TOTTENHAM YESTERDAY moved to secure Aaron Lennon’s future, extending his contract by two years to keep him at White Hart Lane until 2014. The announcement pours cold water on reports linking the winger with a summer move to Liverpool.
While he was instrumental in extending Lennon’s contract Harry Redknapp was keen to stress the player is a work in progress: “He’s learning the game still, he’s not the finished article. He has to keep listening and taking everything on board, the advice that he gets given.
“He does that and he’s a great little lad. If he listens and he wants to learn he could go on to become a fantastic player.” (Guardian Service)
Mourinho pays up for referee jibe
INTER MILAN and Jose Mourinho have been fined €25,000 each after the Portuguese coach alleged Juventus benefited from mistakes by officials this season, the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) said yesterday.
Mourinho’s allegations were made amid controversy after a 3-3 Serie A draw with AS Roma at the San Siro earlier this month following a row over a hotly-disputed penalty.
CHRISTY FAGAN, currently with the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain, has been called into the Ireland under-21 squad after Seán Scannell was forced to withdraw from the panel due to injury. Ireland play a friendly game against Spain in at the RSC Waterford next weekend after which they kick off their European Championship campaign against Turkey at Turner’s Cross the following Tuesday.
EA Sports sign up as title sponsors for League Cup on two-year deal
VIDEO GAME multinational EA Sports have signed up as the new title sponsor of the League Cup which, for the duration of the two-year deal, will be officially titled the EA Sports Cup, writes Emmet Malone.
The company’s backing of the competition builds on their involvement with the game here, with EA already sponsoring the national five-a-side schools tournament, while their Fifa 10 game features all 10 of the Premier League’s clubs.
The draw for this year’s competition, meanwhile, was made yesterday when last year’s beaten finalists were handed an away game in Limerick in their first outing. Defending champions Derry City received a bye.
Draw: Pool 1. First Round:Limerick v Wexford Youths (Match 1), Kerry League v Cork City (M2), FC Carlow v Cobh Ramblers (M3); Second round: Winner 3 v Waterford United, Winner 2 v Winner 1. Pool 2 Preliminary round:Kildrum Tigers v Finn Harps (M1), Salthill Devon v Mervue United (M2); First round: Galway United v Winner 2 (Match A); Castlebar Celtic v Winner 1 (MB); Byes: Derry City Sligo Rovers; Second round:Winner A v Derry City, Sligo Rovers v Winner B. Pool 3: First round:Shelbourne v Dundalk (M1), Monaghan United v Sporting Fingal (M2), Bray Wanderers v Drogheda United (M3); Bye: Bohemians; Second round:Winner 3 v Winner 2; Bohemians v Winner 1.
Pool 4. First Round:Athlone Town v Longford Town (M1), Shamrock Rovers v Kildare County (M2), Tullamore Town v UCD (M3); Bye: St Patrick's Athletic. Second round: St Patrick's Athletic v Winner 2, Winner 1 v Winner 3.
Second round winners qualify for the quarter-finals which will be the subject of an open draw.
The dates for the rounds of the competition are: Preliminary round:Mon/Tues, March 30th/31st; First round: Mon/Tues, April 13th/14th; Second round: Mon/Tues, May 4th/5th; Quarter-finals:Mon/Tues, May 18th/19th; Semi-finals:Mon/Tues, August 3rd/4th; Final:Saturday, September 26th.
Jol plays up Uefa Cup rivals City
HAMBURG MANAGER Martin Jol feels his side will be up against one of the best six sides in England when they take on Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup.
The game will also mean a reunion with former team-mates for City midfielders Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong.
“Manchester City are a team that for me are among the best six in England,” said Jol yesterday.
“They are very strong in every area of the team.”
Paris St Germain host Dynamo Kiev and Marseille travel to Shakhtar Donetsk in the first legs of their clashes.
Udinese, the last Italian club left in European competition this season, travel to another German side, Werder Bremen.
