French club Marseille have dismissed coach Michel as they battle relegation from Ligue 1. Marseille said they had decided to dismiss Michel, citing his conduct, “in particular over the last three weeks”. Michel will be replaced until the end of the season by his assistant Franck Passi who would be helped by former Marseille star Basile Boli., with the club 15th in Ligue 1 and without a win in 10 games.
Germany boss Joachim Low has refused to close the door on midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger ahead of Euro 2016. The Manchester United player suffered a partial tear of his knee ligaments while on international duty last month and is expected to miss the rest of the club season. “Right now, I still have hope that he will make it in time for the start of the European Championship in France,” Low told Eurosport. “We’ve got to take it week by week and talk to him about it. He’s keeping me informed as to how far he is, and we just have to see how quickly he recovers from it.”
Romania great Gheorghe Hagi has stepped aside as coach of his own club Viitorul Constanta at least until the end of the season after a poor run of results. “I want to analyse the situation,” 51-year-old Hagi told reporters on Tuesday, adding that he will be replaced by his assistant Catalin Anghel, who was coach from 2009 to 2013. “I still don’t know if I’ll be here in the summer,” said Hagi, who founded Vitorul in 2009.
Nick Blackwell says he will not fight again after sustaining serious head injuries in his British middleweight title loss to Chris Eubank Jr. Blackwell, 25, was placed in a coma with bleeding in his skull after his 10th-round defeat at London’s Wembley Arena on 26 March. “No that’s me done,” the Briton tweeted after being asked on the social media site if he would be making a comeback. “I can’t put my friends and family and self through that again.”
Liverpool are the latest Premier League club being lined up for a Middle Eastern takeover. Manchester City are already owned by Sheikh Mansour who is member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. Now a member of his family has set his sights on snapping up Liverpool and has more than £700m in the bank waiting to complete a deal. Starsport revealed at the start of the month that talks have already opened on a proposed sale. Although the identity of the bidder remains a closely guarded secret, one likely candidate is Sheikh Khalifa, the president of the United Arab Emirates. He is estimated to be worth more than £30bn and is even wealthier than his half-brother, Sheikh Mansour who has turned City into two time champions since buying the club in 2008. There is nothing to stop such a deal going through with a Premier League spokesperson confirming yesterday: “There is no Premier League rule in terms of relations owning different clubs.”
Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor went on a laughing gas and booze binge on the day his club were relegated from the Premier League. Agbonlahor, 29, was pictured partying in a hotel room with pals and two girl fans — the carpet littered with cans of legal high nitrous oxide. Later the £60,000-a-week striker was seen downing shots and horsing around with hangers-on at London’s Mayfair Hotel. Agbonlahor was left out of the Villa side who were relegated hours earlier by a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United, because he is overweight and unfit. The star, dubbed Flabby Gabby, is supposed to be on a personal fitness regime. His antics on Saturday night infuriated the club’s supporters who saw them on social media. One said: “Just looking at it turns my stomach. It’s a real slap in the face for Villa fans. “If I was captain of a team that has just been relegated I’d be hiding myself away in shame.”
UPDATE: Aston Villa have suspended striker Gabby Agbonlahor pending an investigation.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas says Jose Mourinho failed at Stamford Bridge this season because he put “too much trust” in his squad. Mourinho, 53, was sacked in December, with the club one point above the relegation zone, seven months after he led them to the Premier League title. Fabregas, 28, says the players “let him down” after being given extra holiday as reward for winning the league. “I have huge respect for him,” the Spain international told Sky Sports. “The biggest problem was he trusted us too much, gave us more holiday because we were champions and we let him down. That was the main reason he had to go – and for that, myself and the team feel bad.”
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams claimed the top accolades at this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards. The tennis duo were named sportsman and sportswoman of the year at the Berlin ceremony for their 2015 achievements. Djokovic, 28, reached all four Grand Slam finals, winning three of them, a feat emulated by Williams, 34. Brazil’s Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias, 27, was named disabled sportsperson of the year after winning seven gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championships.
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy faces an extended ban during the Premier League title run-in after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association. Vardy, 29, remonstrated with referee Jon Moss after he was shown a red card in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham. The FA has also charged Leicester with failing to control their players after West Ham won an 83rd-minute penalty. Vardy and Leicester have until 6pm on Thursday to respond. Vardy, the Premier League’s joint leading scorer with 22 goals this season, was shown a second yellow card early in the second half for diving. He appeared to confront Moss before leaving the field. The England international receives an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal, but that looks likely to be increased following the FA charge.
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