IN BRIEF (Page 22)
SOCCER
Italian league suspended for a week after riots
MILAN: Italy's second and third division soccer program will be suspended at the weekend, the country's federation said on Monday following fan violence sparked by the shooting of a Lazio supporter by a policeman.
Italy visits Scotland in a crunch Euro 2008 qualifier on Saturday, meaning there is no top-flight action, but games in Serie B and Serie C have been postponed this Sunday as a mark of respect to the dead fan.
FIGC has now had to halt league action for the second time in a year because of hooliganism.
Italy is due to host Faroe Islands in Modena on November 21 with Serie A expected to resume a week on Sunday.
Strachan predicts the end for FIFA and UEFA
LONDON: Celtic manager Gordon Strachan believes the authority of world soccer's two most powerful organizations, FIFA and UEFA, will eventually be ended by rich businessmen.
"There will be a new structure, a new body," Strachan told the BBC's Inside Sport program late on Monday. "The powers that be, the businessmen coming into football now, will say 'forget FIFA, forget UEFA, we're so powerful we'll have three (European) leagues with the best 60 clubs.
"I think that's the way it has got to go."
Strachan added that FIFA and UEFA will have no choice but to go along with such a development.
Sociedad to investigate coach Coleman's late show
MADRID: Real Sociedad is investigating coach Chris Coleman's late arrival at a news conference on Friday, amid media reports he was seen in a local nightclub in the early hours of the morning.
Journalists were kept waiting an hour and a half for his weekly conference. When he arrived Coleman apologized for the delay, saying he had a flood at his flat.
"No one likes these matters. Logically you aren't happy and that's why an investigation has been opened," Sociedad sporting director Salva Iriarte told a news conference.
The former Welsh international took charge after Sociedad was relegated from the Primera Liga last season. The team is 13th in the 22-team second division.
Classy Arsenal beats Reading to go back on top
LONDON: Classy Arsenal cruised to a 3-1 win at Reading on Monday to extend its club record to 27 unbeaten matches and replace Manchester United on top of the Premier League.
Goals from Frenchman Mathieu Flamini after 44 minutes, Ivorian Emmanuel Adebayor after 52 and Belarussian Aleksandr Hleb 12 minutes from time lifted Arsenal to 30 points from 12 matches. United has 30 points from 13 games.
Both teams have goal differences of plus 17 but Arsenal is top, having netted 27 to United's 23.
BASEBALL
Yankees up contract offer to free-agent catcher Posada
NEW YORK: The New York Yankees made a new contract offer to Jorge Posada on Monday in an effort to re-sign the All-Star catcher before he hit the open market.
New York also was trying to re-sign Mariano Rivera before Tuesday, when free agents could start talking money with all Major League Baseball clubs.
Posada, a five-time All-Star who is 36, said on Sunday he was "really close" to an agreement with the Yankees and his preference is to remain with the only major league team he's played for. His contract is expected to be for three or four years.
Rivera, an eight-time All Star, was in the Dominican Republic on Monday. Rivera, who turns 38 on November 29, said on Monday if he couldn't reach a deal with New York, he would consider following manager Joe Torre to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The closer is expected to receive a three-year contract.
(China Daily 11/14/2007 page22)
