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O'Neal seeks treatment for ailing hip

LOS ANGELES: Giant center Shaquille O'Neal is en route to Los Angeles where he will receive treatment for a bothersome hip.

The 15-year National Basketball Association veteran has missed the Miami Heat's last five games, including the first two matches of the club's five-game road trip.

Heat coach Pat Riley told the Miami Herald that O'Neal was on a Monday flight to Los Angeles, where he has a home and familiar doctors dating to his days with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 35-year-old O'Neal bruised his left hip while diving for a loose ball during Miami's December 22 game against Utah. Four days later, he aggravated the injury in a loss at Philadelphia.

Bolton reject Chelsea's bid for Anelka

BOLTON, England: English Premier League side Bolton announced on Monday they have rejected a bid from Chelsea for their French striker Nicolas Anelka.

Chelsea confirmed they had made a move for the 28-year-old, who signed a four-year contract with Bolton earlier this season, but insisted negotiations were ongoing and they were still hopeful of landing the player.

"We can confirm we have made an official offer for the transfer of Nicolas Anelka, which is being discussed with Bolton Wanderers," read a statement on Chelsea's website.

Chelsea's bid was not disclosed but according to sources close to Bolton the club have fixed a price tag on the mercurial Frenchman at 17 millions euros ($25 million).

The Londoners are eager to bring in a top-level scorer to cover for Didier Drogba who will play for Cote d'Ivoire in the African Nations Cup later this month and the injured Andriy Shevchenko.

Defoe wants to stay at Spurs despite being told he can go

LONDON: England striker Jermain Defoe wants to remain at Tottenham Hotspur despite being told by manager Juande Ramos he can quit the English Premier League club.

"The manager has said I can leave if I want, but I want to prove him wrong," Defoe told the Sun newspaper on Tuesday. "I want to stay here.

"He (Ramos) just said, 'You can leave if you want to'. Yet I have no intentions of leaving this club because I love it here."

The 25-year-old Defoe, one of four top strikers at Spurs including Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent, has been unable to claim a regular place in the starting lineup in the last year and a half.

The former West Ham United forward said he could not sign a new, long-term contract with the club unless Ramos started playing him regularly.

"How can I be expected to stay for the next few years if I am going to be on the bench all the time?", said Defoe. "I don't think any player would accept that."

Furious Menotti quits over Villa transfer to Derby

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: World Cup- winning coach Cesar Luis Menotti has quit Mexican side UAG Tecos in protest at the club's transfer of Argentine striker Emanuel Villa to English Premier side Derby County.

Club president Antonio Leano revealed on Monday that the 69-year-old Argentine coach, who took up the role in August, was also opposed to the club's financial and team management.

"Menotti quit his post at the end of the week over the departure of Villa," Leano confirmed.

The 25-year-old striker had been the Mexican club's top scorer with 10 goals from 28 appearances this season.

Menotti coached Argentina from 1974 to 1982 during which period he led the squad to World Cup glory in 1978.

Lyon's Benzema confident of Champions League success

LYON, France: Lyon's star striker Karim Benzema insisted Monday that he believes the six-time French champions will finally lift Europe's most prized club trophy at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on May 21.

"I have said it, I believe we are going to win (the Champions league) this year," Benzema, the French league's top scorer, told French television.

The 20-year-old is firing on all cylinders this season and scored a hat-trick on Sunday in the French Cup, taking his tally in all competitions this season to 23 goals.

Benzema, one of France's rising stars, has already been likened to French footballing greats Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin and Zinedine Zidane.

"The great footballers always make an impression on you and with time and work I hope I can (match them)," he added.

(China Daily 01/09/2008 page22)