Top Shot
Ibrahimovic wins Swedish Golden Ball award
STOCKHOLM: Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic won the Swedish Golden Ball award for footballer of the year on Monday.
It was the 26-year-old striker's second Golden Ball. He won the award for the first time in 2005.
"I am incredibly proud to receive this a second time. It's not just my prize. It also belongs to my Swedish fans, especially all the kids out there," said Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic has not scored for the Swedish national team for two years but has shown impressive club form for Inter Milan, helping the side to the Serie A title last season while scoring 15 goals.
This season he has managed seven goals in Serie A and four in the Champions League, which makes him the joint top scorer in the European club competition alongside Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ibrahimovic joined Inter Milan from Juventus in 2006 after the Turin club was relegated to Serie B.
Mutu doubtful for Romania's Euro qualifiers
BUCHAREST: Romanian striker Adrian Mutu could miss the Group G leader's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Bulgaria on Saturday and Albania four days later after injuring his leg playing for club Fiorentina.
Fiorentina's Web site (wwww.acffiorentina.com) reported Mutu would need to rest for three weeks, however the Romania team spokesman said he had been asked to join the squad.
"Mutu injured his leg during his team's match against Udinese at the weekend, but Romania's coach Victor Piturca has asked him to join the team in Bucharest on Tuesday," team spokesman Paul Zaharia said.
Lehmann would consider Bundesliga switch
BERLIN: German international goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said he would consider a transfer to a Bundesliga team this winter if it would help secure his place at the Euro 2008 finals.
The 38-year-old has been second choice to Spaniard Manuel Almunia at Arsenal in recent weeks, but told Monday's edition of Kicker magazine he thought he would regain his first-team place at the London club soon.
"The Bundesliga is always attractive and an option, maybe even the second division," Lehmann said in an interview. "At any rate I want to go (to Euro 2008). Playing there was always my goal."
Jenkins to captain Wales against champion Springboks
LONDON: Cardiff Blues prop Gethin Jenkins will become the 125th player to captain Wales when he leads the side against world champion South Africa at the Millennium Stadium on November 24, the WRU said on Monday.
Jenkins became Wales' most capped prop at the rugby World Cup against Fiji when he overtook Dai Young's tally of 51.
"It's obviously a huge honor, probably the biggest in Welsh sport, but I wanted to be sure I could do justice to the responsibility, my goal as a player is to do everything to the highest of standards and this is no different," said Jenkins, who turns 27 this week.
"Leading the team out at the Millennium Stadium, probably in front of a packed house of home fans and against the world champions will be a pretty special way to win my first cap as captain."
Jenkins takes over the captain's armband from club mate Gareth Thomas.
Red Sox' Pedroia and Brewers' Braun rookies of year
BOSTON: Boston Red Sox second-baseman Dustin Pedroia won the American League's Rookie of the Year honors on Monday, while Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun took the title for the National League.
Pedroia, who at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters) tall was the shortest player on the Red Sox active roster at the end of the season, batted .317 and hit eight home runs, helping bring the Red Sox their second World Series title in four years, over the Colorado Rockies.
Braun, 23, batted .324 and hit 34 home runs, though his team ended the year in second place in the National League's central division behind the Chicago Cubs.
Pedroia, 24, took the field in the World Series despite a broken bone in his left hand, compensating by changing his grip on the bat, the Boston Herald reported on Sunday.
The runners-up in the American league were outfielder Delmon Young of the Tampa Bay Rays, followed by Kansas City Royals pitcher Brian Bannister.
(China Daily 11/14/2007 page23)
