Nadal slams French TV puppet show's drugs charge

Tennis great Rafael Nadal has attacked a televised French satirical puppet show that implied he and other Spanish sports stars are drug cheats, saying it had crossed the line.

The sketches on Canal Plus France's show Les Guignols, or The Puppets whipped up a storm of outrage in Spain, leading the foreign minister to order formal protests to French media.

One sketch featured a puppet likeness of world number two Nadal replenishing the tank of his car from his own bladder, a fill-up which powers up the car and leads to him being pulled over by police.

In another, a satirical advert asks people to donate blood to cycling champion Alberto Contador, who has been slapped with a two-year doping ban, and thus share in the glory of his cycling victories.

"At the end of the day it is humour," Nadal told Spanish media on Thursday, explaining that he had not seen the video himself.

"One day is ok but when, from what I understand, it is done repeatedly then that is not so good because it crosses the line a bit. And it is always with the same focus," he said.

The French puppet show was a "repeat offender", said the 25-year-old tennis star.

"The institutions in general have to defend us because I don't think it is a campaign against me or a campaign against anyone. It is a campaign against Spain in general, and against Spanish sports," he said.

"I don't think it is only Canal Plus that does it. I think there are other media pushing it along and I think that is something punishable because in Spain sportspeople who are not clean are punished, they don't compete."

Nadal said Canal Plus alone was not to blame.

"It is a globalized campaign from the neighbouring country," he said.

"With a lot less resources than them we have achieved much more in the last years so we are doing something better -- it is not a question of pills or syringes I can assure you."

Spain had a system of sports drugs testing that ensured cheats were excluded from competition, Nadal said, adding that he himself had been tested three times already this year.

In a sign of the broad indignation, the front page of the top-selling sports daily Marca ran a drawing of Spain's sporting heroes including the World Cup winning football players with the headline: "They Are Not Puppets"

On Thursday, foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said he had instructed the Spanish ambassador to France to send a written protest to French media including to Canal Plus.

Spain's tennis federation said the previous day it would sue Canal Plus over the comedy sketches.

The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday handed a two-year ban to two-time Tour de France winner Contador after he tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Contador says it was due to a contaminated steak eaten during the 2010 Tour de France. He said on Tuesday that his lawyers were looking into a possible appeal.

The ban imposed on Contador prompted widespread indignation in Spain, with many in the public and media branding it unjust.

Contador's fans said they will don masks of their hero on Sunday and hold a symbolic bike ride in his home town of Pinto to support him.

The sanction is backdated to August 2010, meaning Contador can return to competition on August 6, 2012.

As well as ruling him out of this year's Tour de France and the Olympic Games in London, he will be stripped of several wins, including his 2010 yellow jersey, one of his three victories in the French race.

Redknapp tight-lipped over England job

England football chiefs vowed not to rush their search for a successor to Fabio Capello on Thursday as Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp remained tight-lipped over taking the job.

Speaking at a Wembley press conference after one of the most dramatic 24 hours in English football history, Football Association chairman David Bernstein defended the organisation's handling of Capello's exit.

Bernstein confirmed that Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce would take charge of England's squad for the friendly against the Netherlands on February 29, while an exhaustive search would take place for the best candidate.

The 65-year-old Italian Capello resigned on Wednesday, unhappy at the FA decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy last week following the delay of his trial for racially abusing QPR player Anton Ferdinand.

Bernstein said Capello's decision to publicly air his criticism of the decision in comments to Italian media had created an "unsatisfactory situation" before crunch talks at Wembley on Wednesday.

"Of course it's regrettable when a manager leaves like this. Fabio has had a great record, but it's happened now," Bernstein said.

"The matter arising from the English team captaincy issue and from Fabio's statement on Sunday and the consequential issues meant that I felt when Fabio offered the resignation it was in the interests of the FA and English football the right thing to do."

The FA chairman said the focus was now on finding their man.

"We will do this as quickly and sensibly as we can but don't want to rush the process. We want to to it properly, do it professionally," he said.

"We will put a shortlist together of key people. We will do it as soon as we can. It will be a major priority for us."

Bernstein also would not rule out the possibility of England looking to an overseas coach to replace Capello.

"No, he will not definitely be English," Bernstein said.

"Clearly there is a preference for an English or British person, but in the end we want the best person."

Many regard Redknapp - cleared of tax evasion charges on Wednesday - as the only viable candidate to replace Capello.

However, Redknapp said Thursday his focus was solely on preparing Tottenham, third in the Premier League, for their match against Newcastle this weekend.

"I've not even thought about it (the England job). I've got a job to do," Redknapp told Sky Sports outside his home in Poole, south-west England.

"I've got a big game on Saturday for Tottenham. Tottenham is my focus."

Earlier, former England manager Graham Taylor said Redknapp was "made for the job" of leading the national team, adding the Londoner was at the right stage of his career to take on the challenge.

Guus Hiddink's 'personal relationship' with John Terry could scupper England chances says agent

Guus Hiddink's "strong personal relationship" with ousted captain John Terry could rule him out of contention to be the next England manager.

The Dutchman has emerged as the most realistic foreign contender for the England job, which became vacant on Wednesday when Fabio Capello resigned over the Football Association board's decision to strip Terry of the captaincy while he fights a charge of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Hiddink worked closely with Terry during a short but successful spell with Chelsea in the second half of the 2008-09 season which culminated in the Blues winning the FA Cup, and his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen told the Daily Telegraph that could be a stumbling block to his appointment.

"I don't, based on previous conversations with England FA board members, imagine that it would work," he said.

"Guus also has a very strong personal relationship with John Terry and would be on his side in all this."

Van Nieuwenhuizen also indicated his client would not be interested in taking on the role just for Euro 2012.

"He's not done that in the past and had always previously also been involved in qualification," he added.

Hiddink led Holland to the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup and took 2002 co-hosts South Korea to the semi-finals, although his most recent posting as Turkey coach ended in failure to qualify for Euro 2012.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the overwhelming bookmakers' favourite to succeed Capello, and while Spurs forward Jermain Defoe admits Redknapp would be a popular choice, he would be sad to see him leave White Hart Lane.

Defoe told BBC Sport: "Everyone wants Harry to be the next England manager.

"He'll never turn round and say 'no I don't want the job', because it's such a big job. We don't want Harry to leave because of what he's achieved."

Redknapp steered Spurs clear of relegation trouble after taking charge in October 2008 and has since led the team to last season's Champions League quarter-finals and are a good bet to qualify for Europe's premier club competition again at the end of this season.

Redknapp's former chairman at Portsmouth, Milan Mandaric, has also backed the Spurs boss' claims for the England job.

Mandaric and Redknapp were both cleared of tax evasion charges relating to their time at Portsmouth on Wednesday, the same day Capello resigned as England manager.

The Serbian told Sky Sports News: "I don't think there is a better man than Harry Redknapp to take over England.

"I possibly shouldn't say that because it is not my job to talk about managers who are employees and are very happy with their job.

"I want England to be successful because I am a big part of English football."

Redknapp's son Jamie, now a pundit for Sky Sports, admits it has been a turbulent week for the family but prefers the speculation surrounding the England job to the stress which came with the court case at Southwark Crown Court.

"My family has gone from one storm to another, but I prefer this storm," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

"My dad has been ill worrying about his case. He has been anxious and angry. Worrying about my mum, who is a gentle and soft person. Worrying about what would happen to her if he ended up with a guilty verdict.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but whatever my dad ends up doing, he has to do what is best for him. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, it's not meant to, but, after what he has been through for the last five years, it has to be his choice."

The four-man Club England board will sit down later today to begin the process of selecting Capello's successor adamant they will not be railroaded into appointing Redknapp.

Overwhelming favourite for the job, it is thought Redknapp could be prised away from White Hart Lane, if not immediately, then at the end of the season.

Redknapp is due to attend a press conference himself this morning to preview tomorrow's home encounter with Newcastle.

Even though the 64-year-old ticks all the right boxes, FA general secretary Alex Horne is keen to ensure the correct procedures are followed before Capello's replacement is named, no matter how obvious the claims of one man.

"We understand the feeling of the nation and supporters," said Horne.

"Fans of England are very important when it comes to choosing the right person for the job.

"But we have to sit down and look long term. We owe it to ourselves to write up the job brief and make sure we sit down calmly and ensure we have an exhaustive list."

Horne will be joined in his quest by FA chairman David Bernstein, Club England managing director Adrian Bevington and FA director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking.

And the brief will involve far more than just managing a football team.

It is anticipated the successful candidate will pay more than lip service to the National Football Centre in Burton, providing a lead to the numerous coaches and youth teams that will be based there.

And whilst non-English candidates will be considered, they will need to have a better grasp of the language than Capello mastered in his four years at the helm.

Former England captain Alan Shearer insists the FA should "move heaven and earth" to secure Redknapp.

"I think he is made for it," Shearer told the BBC's Football Focus programme.

"He understands players and players understand him. That is a perfect mix. I'd move heaven and earth to get him."

Shearer backed the FA's decision to strip Terry of the captaincy, but could understand Capello's frustration that the decision had been taken without his approval.

"Having been England captain, particularly leading up to the tournament, you are asked to do all sorts with the media," he said.

"It would have been hard for John Terry to do that without people asking millions of questions."

The chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, Northampton defender Clarke Carlisle, has compared the FA to FIFA and has called for it to become more transparent.

He told LBC: "The FA is an organisation that's been in turmoil for a decade.

"The hope is that Mr Bernstein can bring a strong leadership to it, but it's very closed and it almost reflects what we were asking of FIFA...all the decisions are made within the organisation about our national game that affects millions upon millions of lives but there's no inclusion, there's no interaction, there's no transparency and because of that you are seeing here lots of speculation and conjecture about what goes on behind those doors."

Chelsea reveals $45M cost of hiring Villas-Boas

Chelsea spent 28 million pounds ($45 million) on firing manager Carlo Ancelotti and hiring Andre Villas-Boas, an outlay that does not appear to be paying off with the team performing worse in the English Premier League this season. Ancelotti was ditched in May after failing to win a trophy in his second season at Stamford Bridge, prompting owner Roman Abramovich to take a costly gamble on luring the inexperienced Villas-Boas from Porto. With the team a point worse off than at this stage last season and just clinging onto the fourth Champions League place, Abramovich has been a regular presence at training sessions during the past week. But Chelsea has moved quickly to insist that the notoriously impatient Abramovich had positive talks with Villas-Boas during visits to the training ground. Chelsea made its worst start to a Premier League since Abramovich’s takeover in 2003 and the team blew a 3-0 lead against Manchester United on Sunday to draw 3-3. Abramovich took a major risk in hiring the 34-year-old Villas-Boas as his seventh manager in eight years after firing Ancelotti, despite the Italian coach winning the league-FA Cup double in his first season. The 28 million pound cost of “changes in the first team management structure” last summer is revealed in Chelsea’s accounts for the year to June 30, which were published on the British company registry on Wednesday. Chelsea has spent 64 million pounds ($102 million) in the last four years on managerial changes, according to football finance analyst Andy Green _ a result of Abramovich making ruthless calls if managers can’t meet his high expectations. Jose Mourinho, who replaced Claudio Ranieri in 2004, was ousted by Abramovich in 2007, despite presiding over the most successful period in the club’s history in his three years in charge _ winning two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one League Cup.Villas-Boas is expected to deliver a trophy this season despite overseeing a season of transition and Chelsea trying to comply with new financial regulations, which the club calls a “significant challenge.” But the west London club announced losses of 67.7 million pounds ($109 million) in the year to June 30, down slightly from the previous year but higher than the two years before that. The wage bill for players and coaches, though, dropped from 75 million pounds to 69 million pounds. “The football club needs to balance success on the field together with the financial imperatives of this new regime,” company secretary Alan Shaw wrote in the directors’ report. Clubs are set to be barred from the Champions League if they breach the “financial fair play” rules. In an initial two-year monitoring period that started in July 2011, UEFA’s rules allow clubs to make a total loss of (euro) 5 million ($6.5 million) in the first assessment period or up to (euro) 45 million ($58 million). Shaw insisted that Abramovich has “sufficient funds … to finance the business for the foreseeable future.”

Ivory Coast into African Cup final against Zambia

Ivory Coast will play Zambia in the final the African Cup of Nations after edging out Mali 1-0 on Wednesday with an individual goal from Gervinho on the stroke of halftime. The Arsenal forward capitalized on a defensive error at Stade de l Amitie to race half the length of the pitch and shoot past goalkeeper Soumaila Diakite. Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure both hit the post as Ivory Coast dominated for most of the game, reaching the final without conceding a single goal at the tournament. The Ivorians are now within reach of a first African title in 20 years. The Zambians advanced to Sunday s decider in Libreville after surprising Ghana 1-0 in the first semifinal.

Worchestershire contract Ajmal for 2nd stint

Ajmal got boost following his clutch of wickets for Pakistan in their Test series whitewash of England. Ajmal will join the Midlands county as their second overseas player for the domestic Twenty20 competition, along with Australia batsman Phil Hughes who will be at New Road for the whole of the 2012 English county season. The in-form Ajmal took 24 wickets in Pakistan s 3-0 rout of England in the United Arab Emirates, including a Test-best seven for 55 in the series opener. He spent the second half of last term with Worcestershire and helped them avoid relegation from the First Division of the County Championship. Ajmal also collected up 16 Twenty20 wickets for the county at an average of just over 11 apiece. "Saeed showed last summer when playing for us what a quality bowler he is," said Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes. "His recent performances against England only serve to back this up," the former England wicket-keeper added. "We are delighted that he has agreed to return to New Road for a second time." The 34-year-old Ajmal, in a Worcestershire statement, said: "I really enjoyed my time at New Road in 2011 and look forward to returning this summer to help inspire the club to Twenty20 success."

Cavendish wins 5th stage of Tour of Qatar

Tom Boonen closed in on the overall victory by protecting his lead on the penultimate day. Cavendish secured his second stage win in three days by taking a mass sprint at the end of a 160-kilometer ride from a camel race track in the east of the country to Al Khor in the north. The Team Sky rider arrived in Doha with a bout of flu but still beat Liquigas-Cannondale duo Daniel Oss and Peter Sagan to the finish line. Boonen retained a 31-second lead over Tyler Farrar going into Friday s final stage. Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha is third, while Cavendish moved up to seventh.

‘Pakistan will be on guard against fighting Afghanistan’

Pakistan and Afghanistan play a historic first-ever one-day international between the two countries here on Friday with both captains vowing to make the game a memorable one. “It is a very important game for both countries and we will try to make the occasion memorable with some quality cricket,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said. “It is important for countries like Afghanistan to play a top team which will help them improve and we are going to play with our full strength team as they have some good players.” They are “very good fighters,” he added. Friday’s match in Sharjah Stadium — which holds the world record of staging the most one-day internationals with 201 — is fitting because most of the Afghan players learnt the game in Pakistan while staying as refugees after the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979. Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal thanked Pakistan for giving them chances. “We thank Pakistan for allowing us to play this one-day and also giving us opportunity to play in their domestic competitions which raised our confidence,” said Mangal, who led Afghanistan to one-day status. “It is a history making match against a top team like Pakistan and we will try our best to put up a good fight in a contest which is a big challenge for us,” said the 27-year-old Mangal, an off-spin bowler. Mangal said his team had prepared well for Pakistan’s spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman who were behind the 3-0 destruction of England in their three-Test series: Ajmal finished with 24 wickets while Rehman took 19. “We have prepped well for Pakistan’s spin duo and I am confident my batsmen will do their best,” said Mangal, adding that paceman Hamid Hassan, who has 24 wickets in 14 one-day internationals, will miss the match through knee injury. They still have Mohammad Nabi, an off-spinner who took five wickets while playing for an ICC Combined XI against England last month and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad who scored 51 and 74 in the same match. Pakistan will be further boosted by the return of allrounder Shahid Afridi who will add variety to team’s spin attack. Mangal hoped a sell-out crowd of 15,000 largely Afghan and Pakistan expats, enjoying the weekly holiday here, will show their support. “We want the public to share this historic moment with both the teams,”said Mangal. War-ravaged Afghanistan gained a notable foot up on the world cricket stage by finishing fifth in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers which earned them the right to play one-day internationals. They also won the right to play the third edition of World Twenty20, held in the Caribbean in 2010, by winning the qualifying tournament and then finished with a silver medal in the Asian Games in China in November that same year. Afghanistan, one of the 59 associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), are also the title holders of the Inter-Continental Cup meant for the Associate nations. The ICC, which contributes approximately 700,000 dollars a year to help Afghanistan’s development in cricket, has shown great delight in their progress, terming it as “a success story in cricket”. Misbah echoed the sentiments but wants the fast-improving team to play more international matches against test-playing nations to be able to gauge their progress. “Once you play against test teams, only then you can know what type of improvement is required,” he said.