The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Blackburn fire manager Berg after 57 days in charge Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:05 AM PST  File photo shows Blackburn Rovers' supporters marching during a protest in September 2011. The supporters called for the dismissal of then manager Steve Kean after the club's disastrous start to the season. – Reuters pic The Norwegian was axed by Blackburn's Indian owners after a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough yesterday, their fifth loss in six games which left the club languishing in 17th place. Under Berg, Blackburn won just once. Berg's dismissal follows hot on the heels of Sean O'Driscoll's departure from Nottingham Forest with the Kuwaiti-owned former European champions sacking the Irishman late yesterday, hours after they had beaten Leeds United 4-2 at home. Berg, who won the Premier League as a Blackburn player in 1995, was appointed on Oct. 31 after the resignation of predecessor Steve Kean at the end of September following relegation from the top flight and months of angry protests from fans. Supporters have long been venting their frustration at owners Venky's although the team topped the second tier before Kean's exit. Blackburn said on their website (http://www.rovers.co.uk) that 43-year-old Berg, assistant Eric Black, first-team coach Iain Brunskill and goalkeeping coach Bobby Mimms had all been fired. "This decision has been taken following a very disappointing sequence of results," the statement read. Venky's director Balaji Rao told the Times of India newspaper: "We have not been doing well and dropping points and losing matches quite often. I want to go up." O'Driscoll was sacked by Nottingham Forest despite the club sitting in eighth place, one point away from the top six. "We are looking to bring in an ambitious manager with Premier League experience," said chairman Fawaz al-Hasawi, adding that Forest's lack of consistency under O'Driscoll was a major factor in the decision. Eighth-placed Forest have not won more than two games in succession since O'Driscoll was hired in July. – Reuters |
| Sharapova, Williams set to be fit for Brisbane Posted: 27 Dec 2012 12:32 AM PST
French Open champion Sharapova (picture) pulled out of an exhibition match against Caroline Wozniacki scheduled for tomorrow in Seoul because of a sore collarbone. But the Russian, along with Williams one of the biggest draws in women's tennis, is due to arrive for the Dec. 30-Jan. 6 tournament on Saturday. Sharapova withdrew from the Australian Open warm-up event last year. Williams, who won a fifth Wimbledon title, Olympic singles gold and a fourth US Open crown in 2012, also pulled out of an exhibition against China's Li Na in Thailand last week. However, the American has been given the green light to participate in Brisbane following toe surgery. "It's great that they're both going to be fit to play the first tournament of the year," tournament organiser Cameron Pearson told Australian media. Eight of the world's top 10 women are scheduled to play in the US$1.5 million (RM4.59 million) Brisbane event, including number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. Azarenka and Sharapova will both receive first-round byes, as do the top four seeds in the men's draw, headed by Britain's Olympic and US Open champion Andy Murray. – Reuters |
BRISBANE, Dec 27 – Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will be fit to play at the Brisbane International, which begins this weekend, after injury scares, organisers said today.| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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