IN BRIEF (Page 24)

SOCCER

PL chief dismisses Uefa investment concerns

LONDON: The Premier League's chief executive dismissed concerns from UEFA over the commercialisation of European football in an interview published Wednesday.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Richard Scudamore also called on governments to strengthen copyright legislation because he fears that the league's costly media rights are being threatened.

Addressing comments from UEFA President Michel Platini, made in a letter addressed to all European leaders last week, Scudamore said: "The Champions League is more rampantly commercial than the Premier League."

"I have a formula which redistributes money far more widely, equitably and evenly than UEFA does, and we retain far less here with far more modest offices. UEFA as an edifice is huge."

Date set for release of jailed Liverpool fan

LONDON: A Liverpool football fan jailed for 10 years in Bulgaria for attempted murder could be released after serving five years after being transferred back to Britain, his local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The Liverpool Echo said law and order minister David Hanson had agreed to set a provisional date for the release of Michael Shields for May 30, 2010 - 10 months earlier than the original penalty.

Shields, now 21, was originally jailed for 15 years in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of Martin Georgiev in a Black Sea resort in May 2005 after Liverpool's Champions League victory over AC Milan in the final in Istanbul.

The 25-year-old bartender suffered severe injuries and nearly died after being hit on the head with a four-kilogramme (nine-pound) cobblestone while trying to end a drunken street brawl in which Shields was involved.

Spurs deny crisis talks over Jol

LONDON: Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has rubbished claims that the club had agreed a compensation deal with Martin Jol in preparation to sack the beleaguered boss.

Jol's future at White Hart Lane has been in doubt since Spurs officials tried to lure Sevilla coach Juande Ramos to London last month after a miserable run of results put the Dutchman under pressure.

Reports in the aftermath of their draw at Bolton on Saturday, which left Spurs third from bottom with only five points from a possible 21, suggested Levy and his directors were set to meet to thrash out a financial package that would allow them to get rid of Jol.

NFL

Vick facing new dogfighting charges

WAVERLY, Va: Atlanta Falcons football star Michael Vick faced additional dogfighting charges on Tuesday when he was indicted by a local court in Virginia, one month after pleading guilty in a federal case.

Vick, 27, faces up to 10 years in state prison, on top of his federal prison sentence, and a suspension from the National Football League.

A grand jury in Surry County, Virginia, indicted Vick for beating, killing or causing dogs to fight other dogs, and engaging in or promoting dogfighting.

The grand jury declined to charge Vick on eight additional counts of killing a dog or causing a dog to be killed.

"We can assure you that this grand jury was not driven by racial prejudice, their affection or lack of affection for professional athletes, or the influence of animal rights activists or their attendant publicity," Virginia Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter said in a statement.

(China Daily 09/27/2007 page24)