Hap. TA coach Shirazi hospitalized
Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Nitzan Shirazi was hospitalized last night in Tel Aviv after complaining of headaches. Shirazi has been suffering from a medical condition for some weeks. He is expected to undergo a series of tests at Ichilov Hospital, where he was admitted. Speculation is rife in the club that Shirazi may be forced to leave his post, which he assumed after Dror Kashtan resigned last season. "We wish Nitzan Shirazi the best of health and hope he will return to coach the team soon," the club said in a statement yesterday. "In the meantime, assistant coach Shavit Elimelech will take over." Midfielder Alroey Cohen tweeted: "It hurts me to see what's happening to Nitzan. Nothing else matter when something like this happens." (Haaretz Sports Staff )
Maccabi Tel Aviv beats Netanya to go joint top of soccer's Premier League
In what was hardly an advert for the quality of Israeli soccer, Maccabi Tel Aviv edged past Maccabi Netanya 1-0 at the Ramat Gan national stadium to go joint top of the Premier League yesterday evening. After a drab first half in which neither side looked like scoring, Tel Aviv took the lead in the 54th minute as Eliran Atar received the ball outside the penalty box, and with four or five Netanya defenders in front of him, still had the time to pick his spot in the corner of the goal. Apart from that goal, the game featured little soccer of value. (Haaretz Sports Staff )
Maccabi Tel Aviv new basketball signing retires before reaching Israel
Maccabi Tel Aviv's recent signing "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu has been forced to retire from basketball after sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for Great Britain in the recent Olympic tournament in London. London-born Mensah-Bonsu played college basketball in the United States and represented the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA for two years. Maccabi signed the 28-year-old power forward from Turkey's Besiktas Milangaz in August, but he never even trained with the Israeli champion. He was due to arrive in Israel on September 14 to meet his new teammates. (Haaretz Sports Staff )
Hulk joins Zenit St. Petersburg
Brazil striker Hulk has joined Zenit St. Petersburg from Portuguese club Porto on a five-year deal, the Russian champions said yesterday. "He just completed all the formalities. It's a five-year contract," Zenit spokesman Dmitry Tsimmerman said. A club source said Zenit had paid 40 million euros ($50.33 million ) for the 26-year-old striker. Hulk helped Porto to win three Portuguese league titles and the 2011 Europa League trophy after joining from the Japanese J League in 2008. Zenit, drawn in the Champions League Group C along with AC Milan, Anderlecht and Malaga, will be able to use Hulk in Europe's premier club competition. Media reports also linked big-spending Zenit, backed by Russian energy giant Gazprom, with a $40 million bid for Manchester United's Portuguese striker Nani and a $44 million bid for Benfica's Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel. (Reuters )
Newcastle's Pardew gets two-game ban for shoving official
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew was given a two-match touchline ban and fined 20,000 pounds ($31,800 ) after accepting a Football Association charge of improper conduct. Pardew shoved assistant referee Peter Kirkup while protesting a decision during Newcastle's win over Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend of the season. "We're overjoyed about the result but I hold my head in shame," Pardew said after the game. "I was just saying to the players [beforehand] about the great Olympics and how to set an example and there's me pushing the linesman over. It was comical, he just happened to be right in front of me. I went in and said I'm sorry [to the referees] and said I would have to apologize publicly too because it was ridiculous." (DPA )
