Rugby

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Diego Maradona could be set for a return to the international arena with the Argentine being considered for the vacant United Arab Emirates head coaching job. The new president of the UAE Football Association Yousuf Al Serkal said on Wednesday that Maradona was among the leading candidates for the post. "As Maradona is within the family of UAE football, we can't neglect or overlook such a name," Al Serkal said. "We will have to consider him. ...

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ATHENS (Reuters) - David Beckham will help bring the Olympic flame back to Britain on a golden plane on Friday after he takes part in a formal handover ceremony in Athens, London 2012 organisers said. The former England football captain, a London 2012 'ambassador' who was on the bid team in 2005 and is hoping to play in a united British side at the Games, will team up with the official delegation and return with them on British Airways 'Flight 2012'. ...

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BARCELONA (Reuters) - Chelsea will discuss a contract extension with Ivorian striker Didier Drogba after next week's Champions League final, the Premier League club's chief executive Ron Gourlay said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, Gourlay also said staying at the west London club's current ground remained Chelsea's preferred option despite a bid for the landmark Battersea Power Station site. Gourlay was at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya to launch the FA Cup winners' new partnership with the Swiss-based Sauber team. ...

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LONDON (Reuters) - London 2012 officials have defended the preparation of the Olympic hockey pitch after one of Australia's players picked up an injury on the artificial blue surface that ruled him out of the Games. Defender Graeme Begbie, who had recently returned after reconstructive knee surgery, tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he slipped and fell during a practice match against India at the venue on Tuesday. Australia coach Ric Charlesworth was quoted by media as saying the surface, which has eye-catching pink surrounds, was too slippery. ...

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MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid clinched their 32nd La Liga title and their first in four years when they won 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Jose Mourinho's side have 94 points with two games left, seven ahead of their arch rivals Barcelona, who have won the title in the past three years. Barca won 4-1 at home to Malaga earlier on Wednesday. (Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Mark Meadows)

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(Reuters) - More than 15,000 fans turned out in pouring rain at the Mugello circuit in Italy on Tuesday to see Ferrari's Fernando Alonso lap fastest in Formula One's first mid-season test since 2008. The Spaniard, who clocked a best time of one minute 12.444 seconds at the Ferrari-owned track north of Florence, felt for the crowd on an afternoon red-flagged briefly due to a thunderstorm. "It's a shame about the rain, which complicated the running of this first day of testing, and a shame for the spectators who deserved to see more of a show," said the double world champion. ...

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(Reuters) - Citroen's Sebastien Loeb chalked up the 70th victory of his world championship career on Sunday after winning Rally Argentina for the seventh year in a row.

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LONDON (Reuters) - England have spoken to West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson regarding the vacant position of national team manager, the English FA said in a statement on Sunday.

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MADRID (Reuters) - Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo pipped compatriot Dani Pedrosa to pole position on the final lap after a keenly contested qualifying session for the Spanish MotoGP on Saturday.

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ROSEAU, Dominica (Reuters) - Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the 10th batsman to reach 10,000 test runs as he headed West Indies' attempt to avoid defeat in the final test against Australia on Thursday.

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