IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Baseball

White Sox sign Dotel to bolster bullpen

CHICAGO: Reliever Octavio Dotel signed a two-year deal worth $11 million with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, bolstering one of Major League Baseball's (MLB) worst bullpens last season.

According to a report on mlb.com, the righthander will receive $5 million this season and $6 million in 2009.

Dotel made 33 relief appearances for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves last season, posting a 2-1 record with a 4.11 ERA and 11 saves.

The White Sox also announced the signing of Cuban exile Alexei Ramirez to a four-year deal that will pay the position player $4.75 million.

Soccer

No change to Champions League, Rummenigge says

BERLIN: The European Club Association (ECA), the newlyformed body representing the interests of clubs at European level, does not want to change the format of the Champions League.

"It has been decided to change nothing in the format," said ECA president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

"The less we change that the better."

The ECA's predecessor, the G14, all the more inclusive in that it represented only 18 of the richest European clubs, had once threatened to launch its own competition to rival the Champions League amid talks to cut the participation of the bigger clubs.

"The big difference is that the G14 was a body not recognised by the football family," Rummenigge told German sports agency SID.

Egypt stakes claim with rout of Cameroon

ELMINA, Ghana: Egypt sent a warning to rivals for its African Nations Cup crown when it crushed Cameroon 4-2 in the Group C opener in Kumasi on Tuesday.

Striker Mohamed Zidan scored a double and Hosni Abd Rabou also struck twice for the five-time African champion with Samuel Eto'o netting Cameroon's two at the Baba Yara stadium.

Zambia took the early lead in the group courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Sudan in the later match.

James Chamanga, drafted into the starting lineup in place of suspended captain Chris Katongo, took just one minute and 45 seconds to fire Zambia ahead.

Jacob Mulenga headed the second six minutes after the interval and Felix Katongo was quickest to a parried save to add a third just before the hour.

Zaragoza appoints Irureta after Garitano quits

MADRID: Real Zaragoza named former Deportivo Coruna coach Javier Irureta as its new coach on Tuesday after Ander Garitano made the shock descision to throw in the towel just a week after being appointed.

Irureta has been out of coaching since quitting as boss of Real Betis in December 2006 after the club made a poor start to the season.

The 59-year-old coached Deportivo Coruna for seven seasons between 1998 and 2005 leading it to its only league title in 2000 and a King's Cup in 2002. He also steered it into the Champions League for five consecutive seasons.

Sunderland signs Bardsley from Manchester United

LONDON: Sunderland have signed Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley for 2 million pounds ($4 million), the Premier League clubs said on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old right back, who spent much of this season on loan at Sheffield United, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract, Sunderland said on their website www.safc.com.

(China Daily 01/24/2008 page24)