Digest

SOCCER

Cavani sticking with United for another year

Edinson Cavani

Edinson Cavani will remain at Manchester United next season after the in-form forward signed a one-year contract extension on Monday.

The 34-year-old Uruguayan has scored 15 goals in his first season in England, including eight in his last seven games, to help United to second place in the Premier League and to the final of the Europa League.

"Over the season I have developed a great affection for the club and everything that it represents," Cavani said in a United statement.

"I have been touched with how much the supporters have wanted me to stay, and I will give everything to bring them happiness and joy with my performances on the field.

"I've not yet been able to play in front of the Old Trafford crowd and that is something that I cannot wait to do."

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had repeatedly stressed his desire for Cavani to remain at Old Trafford despite reports the striker was keen to return to South America.

Juventus threatened with Serie A expulsion

Juventus will be thrown out of Serie A if they don't officially withdraw from the European Super League project, the head of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said Monday.

"If Juventus don't respect the rules, they will be out," Italian media reported FIGC president Gabriele Gravina as saying.

"At the moment of registering for the next Serie A season, they will be out if they have not pulled out from the Super League."

At the end of April, following the attempt to form the breakaway Super League which included Italy's three biggest clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juve, the FIGC adopted a rule which would exclude clubs who take part in competitions not sanctioned by governing bodies UEFA or FIFA.

Milan and newly crowned Serie A champion Inter have since distanced themselves from the project, alongside seven other clubs from England and Spain.

On Friday, UEFA announced sanctions, including financial punishments, against those nine clubs after they "apologized" and acknowledged "a mistake".

Germany reportedly set to appoint Flick

Hansi Flick

Hansi Flick, who is stepping down as Bayern Munich coach at the end of this season, will take over the German national team after this summer's UEFA European Championship, a German newspaper reported on Monday.

Flick is expected to sign for three years, according to Munich newspaper Abendzeitung, allowing him to lead the national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Euro 2024 in Germany.

The 56-year-old has long been considered the preferred candidate for the post of national coach by the German Football Association (DFB).

He was assistant to Joachim Loew, who is standing down after 15 years, between 2006 and 2014, when Germany won the world title.

Flick took over at Bayern in 2019 and has won seven trophies, including two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League.

Flick feuded with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over recruitment and asked for his contract, which was due to run until 2023, to be terminated at the end of the season.

The club agreed to the request and has already announced that 33-year-old RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann will take over.

OLYMPICS

Nishikori questions feasibility of Games

Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori has doubts about whether the IOC and local organizers are doing enough to plan for a worst-case scenario of "hundreds" or "thousands" of coronavirus cases at the Tokyo Olympics.

Or whether it's even still feasible to hold the Games when a state of emergency has been extended in Tokyo and other parts of Japan because of the pandemic.

"I don't know what they are thinking, and I don't know how much they are thinking about how they are going to make a bubble, because this is not 100 people like these tournaments," Nishikori said after winning his first-round match at the Italian Open on Monday.

"It's 10,000 people in the village. So I don't think it's easy, especially what's happening right now in Japan. It's not doing good. Well, not even (just) Japan. You have to think all over the world right now."

Xinhua - Agencies