A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Rangers go through on away goals in Lisbon
EUROPA LEAGUE: Maurice Edu scored a dramatic last-gasp goal to send Rangers into the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will meet PSV Eindhoven, as Sporting Lisbon crashed out of the competition.
El-Hadji Diouf claimed his first goal for Rangers before strikes from former Rangers midfielder Pedro Mendes and Yannick Djalo appeared to have secured victory for the home side at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
But Edu pounced in injury time with the decisive goal in the tie as Rangers triumphed on away goals after the first leg had ended 1-1.
Sporting scored in the 83 minute when Pereira delivered the cross to the back post where Djalo sent a firm header past McGregor. Just when Sporting thought they had sealed their passage to the last 16, Rangers grabbed an equaliser in injury-time when Healy’s cross was met by Edu to win the tie.
Platini issues Serbia warning
UEFA president Michel Platini warned Serbia yesterday they would be thrown out of the Euro 2012 qualifiers and the country’s clubs banned from European competition if their fans caused any more crowd trouble.
Platini met Serbian president Boris Tadic and told him the national team and domestic clubs would be expelled from Europe if the Balkan country’s supporters continued to cause trouble, Tadics press office said in a statement.
“Michel Platini told Serbia’s president it was Uefa’s position that the Serbian national team and the country’s clubs would be expelled from all European competition if its hooligans continued with their violent and criminal behaviour,” the statement said.
Platinis warning follows a history of violence involving Serbian fans, most recently a riot in Genoa last October during the country’s Euro 2012 Group C qualifier away to Italy.
United to post second quarter results
MANCHESTER United will post their second quarter results to December 31st 2010 today.
While most of the attention will be on whether the Glazer family also make a statement about their future intentions, those inside the club are more interested in rejecting a recent report that United’s popularity is on the wane. It was claimed the club’s merchandising had suffered heavily from ongoing anti-Glazer protests, with the visual ‘Green and Gold’ campaign helping to persuade supporters not to put money in the coffers of United’s controversial American owners.
However the report, conducted by respected sports business analysts Sport+Markt, has been received with incredulity at Old Trafford.
They claim statements regarding a 10 per cent drop in sales come from figures only relating to United’s massive Megastore within their stadium complex, and from a season when they only played 29 home games compared to 32 in the previous campaign.
In fact, as today’s results are likely to show, United are on course to become the first Premier League club to crash through the £100 million barrier for annual commercial income, if not this financial year, then the next.
Scots plan 10-team Premier Division
SCOTTISH Premier League clubs could be playing for a place in a truncated top league from the start of next season, according to SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster.
Doncaster met the members of Managers and Coaches Scotland at Hampden yesterday to discuss proposals which would see the implementation of a 10-team top flight and a 12-team second division.
If the clubs agree, up to three teams could drop to the second tier at the end of next season.
Clubs face Uefa hearing
OLYMPIQUE Marseille and Manchester United face a disciplinary hearing over the behaviour of their fans during Wednesdays Champions League match in France.
A Uefa spokesman said proceedings had been opened against the French team because of the use of lasers by their fans while United’s supporters are in trouble for using flares. The hearing will take place on March 17th.
