A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Uefa reduce Mourinho's ban
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:Uefa have reduced some of the sanctions handed out to Real Madrid relating to the dismissals of Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos in the recent Champions League match against Ajax following an appeal.
Alonso and Ramos seemed to deliberately incur second bookings for time-wasting late on in the 4-0 win over Ajax. Those dismissals would wipe out previous cautions ahead of the Champions League knock-out stage.
Manager Jose Mourinho has had his fine cut and two-match ban reduced to one match. Alonso and Ramos had their fines reduced but will start the knock-out stage with one yellow card each against their names as the cautions picked up before the Ajax game still stand.
Barcelona own player shortlist
BALLON D'OR:Spain's World Cup winners Xavi and Andres Iniesta were joined by holder Lionel Messi on an all-Barcelona shortlist for the Fifa Ballon d'Or announced yesterday.
Iniesta scored the winning goal in Spain’s World Cup final victory over the Netherlands in Johannesburg in July and, along with his midfield partner Xavi and Argentina forward Messi, helped Barcelona to win the Spanish league title.
Vicente del Bosque of Spain, the man who masterminded Spain’s first World Cup success, made the shortlist for the Coach of the Year award along with Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Inter Milan.
It is the third time three players from the same club had been named on the Ballon d’Or shortlist. In 1988 and 1989, AC Milan monopolised the first three spots on the list, with Marco Van Basten winning both times.
This year’s winners will be announced on January 10th in Zurich.
Rubin Kazan travel in hope
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: While most teams go to the Nou Camp in trepidation, Rubin Kazan travel to Barcelona for their final Champions League group stage match tonight with a remarkable unbeaten record against the Spanish giants.
The Russians, who lie third in Group D one point behind second-placed Copenhagen, have an outside chance of advancing to the knock-out round. To do so they need to beat Barcelona, who have already secured the top spot, while hoping bottom side Panathinaikos avoid defeat in Denmark.
Rubin have met the Spanish league leaders three times in the past two seasons and have notched one win and two draws. The victory came in a shock 2-1 triumph at the home of the then European champions, in the group stages last October.
“We have nothing left but to beat Barca in our last match,” Rubin captain Christian Noboa said following a 1-0 home win over Copenhagen two weeks ago, their first victory in the group that kept alive their slim hopes.
“We managed to do it last year so we could do it again this time,” he added.
Kelly gets Player award
SLIGO ROVERS: FAI Cup final hero Ciarán Kelly confirmed he hopes to sort out a deal soon to stay at the Showgrounds for next year as he received the SWAI/Airtricity League of Ireland Player of the Month award for November, writes Emmet Malone.
The goalkeeper has been kept busy since saving all four of the penalties he faced in the shoot-out at the Aviva Stadium, launching a series of coaching schools.
“Listen, I’m 30 years of age and I’m getting on,” he says. “But we’re gonna keep our head down, keep plugging away and see what the future brings.
“I’m a Sligo Rovers footballer and hopefully in the next few days I can sit down and agree a contract with Sligo.”
