Diego Maradona feels Tevez pain

DIEGO MARADONA admits he is hurt by Carlos Tevez's plight at Manchester City.

Striker Tevez has been hit with an £800,000 fine and is also set to train on his own for the foreseeable future following his apparent refusal to warm up at Bayern Munich.

But Argentina legend Maradona has backed his countryman, saying: "It hurts me to see it happen to Tevez as a player and human being.

"If City want to give him a financial penalty then fine. But the worst thing to do to a player is to stop him playing."

Maradona was more upbeat over son-in-law Sergio Aguero's City fortunes. He added: "Sergio is one of the world's best strikers and is putting in great displays game after game."

Anton Ferdinand: We’re at a point of no return

ANTON FERDINAND will give evidence to the FA's race row probe today knowing what he says will be a 'point of no return' in the crisis engulfing English football.

The QPR defender is due to go over his statement with club chiefs this morning before submitting it to football's governing body.

And, in an exclusive interview with SunSport, Ferdinand revealed how the controversy involving John Terry has affected his everyday life.

Ferdinand said: "Of course, it's been strenuous — but it's football as usual as far as I'm concerned.

"All week I've been focusing on nothing other than the game at Spurs on Sunday."

But there is little doubt the pressure will intensify later today when he submits his evidence.

An insider confirmed: "John Terry has given his version of events — let's just say it bears no resemblance to what Anton recalls."

Chelsea and England skipper Terry, 30, is accused of hurling racist abuse at Ferdinand during Sunday's fiery London derby with QPR, which saw the Hoops defeat Andre Villas-Boas' Blues 1-0.

TV footage appears to show the Blues defender calling his opponent a ******* black ****.

Terry, who could be stripped of the Three Lions captaincy if the FA find him guilty, claims he was filmed halfway through a sentence and was misconstrued.

The defender insists Ferdinand had yelled at him 'Did you just call me a ******* black ****?' and Terry was replying by saying: 'No, I didn't call you a ******* black ****'.

SunSport understands Ferdinand denies any such exchange took place.

Our source added: "Once Anton hands his version of events to the FA, they'll have no option but to quiz every player who may have seen or heard what actually happened."

Arsenal expect to re-sign Robin van Persie

Van Persie has scored nine time in 13 games this season

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident club captain Robin van Persie will sign a new contract.

Van Persie, 28, has scored nine goals in 13 games for Arsenal this season and his current deal runs until July 2013.

The Gunners have not yet officially begun negotiations with Van Persie, the only current player to have won a trophy with Arsenal.

But Wenger told BBC Sport: "He has 18 months to go and I'm confident he'll sign a new deal. I'm always confident."

Arsenal will be keen to hold onto his talisman following the departures of key players Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy during the summer transfer window.

However, Wenger brought in midfield duo Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta, while defender Per Mertesacker and forward Ju-Young Park were also added to his new-look side.

Chelsea FC lose fan vote on stadium

Chelsea have lost a vote to buy back their own stadium from a group owned by their fans.

Only 61.5% of shareholders in Chelsea Pitch Owners voted in favour of selling the freehold for the club's Stamford Bridge stadium back to the club.

Approval of 75% of the shareholders was needed to pass the proposal.

CPO acquired the freehold to the stadium in 1997 to protect Stamford Bridge from developers should the club run into financial difficulties.

Chelsea had wanted to buy the stadium in order to facilitate a possible move to a new stadium and redevelopment of the site.

However, many fans opposed the move from the club's current location where it has been based for more than a century.

"Chelsea FC is naturally disappointed with the result. While we will remain as ambitious as ever, this decision could slow down our progress," the club said in a statement.

The club maintains no decision has been made on a move, even if the club does buy the stadium.

The club feels that Stamford Bridge's current capacity of 42,000 puts Chelsea at a financial disadvantage compared with rivals such as Arsenal whose new stadium holds 60,000.

Carlos Tevez backed by PFA over four-week Manchester City fine

Tevez has not played for City since they beat Birmingham on 21 September

Carlos Tevez's four-week fine for refusing to play for Manchester City is "not justified", says the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).

City, who also banned Tevez for two weeks, found the striker guilty of what they say were five separate breaches of contract in a game against Bayern Munich in September.

But the PFA supports Tevez's claim that he did not refuse to play and says that a two-week fine is all that is allowed.

"The PFA's opinion, based on all the evidence presented, is that Carlos Tevez never refused to play for the club," said the PFA.

"This is accepted by the club in that the charge against Carlos made at the hearing was not one of refusing to play.

"As such the PFA considers that there is no justification for a fine other than up to the prescribed sanction of two weeks' wages agreed by the FA, the Premier League and PFA."

Following the incident in the Champions League last month, City launched an internal investigation which concluded that among the contractual duties breached by Tevez was one that says he has "an obligation to participate in any matches in which the player is selected to play for the club when directed by a club official".

Tevez insists he only refused to warm up and his advisors have told the BBC they believe that none of the five reasons given by City for upholding the charge of misconduct - which the club published on their website - are correct.

They have further been advised that City manager Roberto Mancini's post-match comments in Munich, where he said Tevez refused to play, could amount to defamation of character and that legal action against him could be forthcoming.

Tevez, who has 14 days to appeal to the club board against the misconduct charge, continues to insist that at no time during the Bayern Munich match was he told he was to be brought on to play, and he is understood to be considering his legal options.

Liverpool eye overseas breakaway TV deal for top clubs

Page last updated at 06:08 GMT, Wednesday, 12 October 2011 07:08 UK

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Liverpool want the right to sell their broadcasting rights overseas

Leading Premier League clubs should be able to negotiate their own overseas TV rights, Liverpool's managing director has been quoted as saying.

Ian Ayre thinks English sides will be left behind by European rivals if they continue to be tied to a collective agreement, which expires in 2013.

He told the Guardian: "Is it right that the international rights are shared equally between all the clubs?

"What we are doing is disadvantaging ourselves against top European clubs."

The current broadcasting deal for overseas rights is worth £1.4bn to the 20 Premier League clubs, with matches shown in 212 countries.

Under current Premier League rules, 14 teams would need to vote in favour of any new arrangements.

PREMIER LEAGUE APPEAL

Continue reading the main story

• The Premier League has a global following of 1.46 billion - 70% of the world's estimated football fans
• Premier League games last season drew a global audience of 4.7bn
• The League clocked up 185,000 hours of TV coverage in 2010/11

Ayre reportedly believes that Liverpool - along with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal - deserve to receive an increased share. In Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid are able to negotiate individual contracts.

Ayre said: "What is absolutely certain is that, with the greatest of respect to our colleagues in the Premier League, if you're a Bolton fan in Bolton, then you subscribe to Sky because you want to watch Bolton. Everyone gets that.

"Likewise, if you're a Liverpool fan from Liverpool, you subscribe.

"But if you're in Kuala Lumpur there isn't anyone subscribing to Astro, or ESPN, to watch Bolton, or if they are it's a very small number. Whereas the large majority are subscribing because they want to watch Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal.

"So is it right that the international rights are shared equally between all the clubs? Some people will say: 'Well you've got to all be in it to make it happen.'

"But isn't it really about where the revenue is coming from, which is the broadcaster, and isn't it really about who people want to watch on that channel? We know it is us. And others.

Continue reading the main story

No matter how many times Manchester United appear on TV in Singapore or America and no matter where they finish in the table, each of the 20 Premier League teams splits the overseas television cash equally

Read more of David Bond's blog

"At some point we definitely feel there has to be some rebalance on that, because what we are actually doing is disadvantaging ourselves against other big European clubs."

Last month Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson called for more revenue from the overseas broadcasting deal, but he was in favour of sharing the money equally.

Ferguson told BBC Sport: "We are being shown in 212 countries at the moment so whatever we are being paid, it is not enough.

"There is a negotiation to be had there next time around. [Individual rights] is the big issue in Spain at the moment but I've no great feelings about that.

"We'd love to have our own but I don't think it should happen that way. It's quite fair to have all equal shares."

Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid suspended for two games

Mourinho has been critical of Barcelona throughout his reign as Real Madrid manager

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been banned for two matches for jabbing his finger into the eye of Barcelona's assistant coach.

The Spanish football federation has suspended Mourinho for an incident that occurred towards the end of the Supercopa match between the sides.

Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova was banned for one match for slapping Mourinho during a brawl.

Three players were sent off in the tie, won 3-2 by Barcelona, on 17 August.

Madrid duo Marcelo and Mezut Ozil and Barca's David Villa were dismissed as the Catalan side won 3-2 to take the trophy 5-4 on aggregate.

As players scrapped on the field, television pictures showed former Chelsea manager Mourinho walking over to Vilanova, manager Pep Guardiola's assistant, and poking him in the eye.

Mourinho later issued a letter apologising for his behaviour, but only to Madrid supporters.

Barcelona said immediately after the game that they would not report Mourinho, but the Spanish federation intervened
.

Successful surgery for Sagna

Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna has undergone successful surgery on his broken leg and is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of three months.

The France international suffered the injury during the Gunners' 2-1 defeat to North London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

The French Football Federation revealed later that evening that the defender was set to be ruled out of action for around 12 weeks.

Arsenal claim they are still working to that timescale, with Sagna ready to begin his rehabilitation.

He went under knife on Monday after it was decided that an operation was required to help him make a full recovery.

I"Bacary Sagna has this afternoon undergone further assessment and investigations on his fractured right fibula with the club's medical team and specialists," read a statement released on Arsenal's official website.

"As a result of these tests, Bacary has had surgery to stabilise the injury.

"The surgery went according to plan and there has been no significant alteration to the initial prognosis that Bacary will be out of action for a minimum of three months.

"Everyone at the club wishes Bacary a speedy recovery."

Managerial changes cost clubs £99m last season, says LMA

Five managers have lost their job this season, with pressure mounting on more

Premier League and Football League clubs spent almost £100m changing their manager last season.

According to figures released to the BBC by the League Managers Association (LMA), the cost of compensation, legal fees and 'double contracts' amounted to £99m.

A 'double contract' is when a sacked manager's contract is honoured until a certain point in time but his replacement also requires a salary.

October is traditionally the month when clubs begin sacking their managers. Between October 2010 and February 2011, 25 clubs opted for that course of action.

Continue reading the main story

• In 2010-11, managers sacked in the Championship had an average tenure of less than a year.
• It was 1.33 years in League 2, 1.67 years in League 1 & 2.07 years in the Premier League.

Several managers have already lost their job this season, including Peter Reid, who was sacked by League Two Plymouth Argyle last week.

Keith Millen left Bristol City on Monday with the club bottom of the Championship, while Steve McClaren departed Nottingham Forest on Sunday, resigning after only 112 days in charge.

The figure of £99m would have been higher had agents fees and the cost of sacking and replacing a manager's backroom team been taken into account.

According to the LMA, which represents managers in the Premier League and Football League, more than 100 coaches also lost their jobs last season.

Reid, who was in charge of Plymouth at a time when the club were battling to avoid administration, will be on BBC Radio 5 live on Tuesday night to discuss the issue.

He will be joined by LMA chief executive Richard Bevan, who believes managers are not being given enough time to prove themselves.

"We want to move away from managers being judged on their last three results," Bevan told the BBC.

Continue reading the main story

• The average length of time it takes a sacked manager to get another job is currently 1.63 years.
• Almost half of first-time managers are never appointed to a second management position.

"In fact, when results take a downturn that is when the club should support its manager even more, not jump for the quick fix."

Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been in charge of Manchester United for almost 25 years, agrees.

"It's always a problem in modern-day management," said the 69-year-old Scot. "You see time and time again that these guys are only in a position a year before the clubs are sacking them."

According to the LMA, Championship managers who were sacked in 2010-11 had an average tenure of less than a year.

The average was 1.33 years in League 2, 1.67 years in League 1 and 2.07 years in the Premier League.

The average length of time it takes a sacked manager to get another job is currently 1.63 years. Almost half of first-time managers are never appointed to a second management position.

Everton's Jack Rodwell wins appeal over red card

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell has won his appeal against the red card shown to him against Liverpool on Saturday.

Rodwell was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson 23 minutes into the Merseyside derby for a challenge on Luis Suarez.

The decision infuriated Everton boss David Moyes as his side went on to lose 2-0 at Goodison Park.

The Football Association (FA) decided to withdraw the suspension and Rodwell will now be available for Everton's next three domestic fixtures.

The Toffees face Chelsea on 15 October, Fulham on 23 October and Chelsea in the Carling Cup on 26 October.

Rodwell had originally received a red card for serious foul play for his tackle on Reds striker Suarez.

After the match, Toffees boss David Moyes expressed his shock at Atkinson's decision.

"I thought it ruined the game," said the Scot.

"I would have been disappointed if it had been a free-kick. I don't think anyone in this world thought it was a sending off."

Everton's chief executive Robert Elstone welcomed the overturning of Rodwell's red card but said it meant little in the wake of a defeat.

"Whilst we welcome the correct decision the FA panel has reached, it's of course an outcome which will provide little consolation whatsoever to the 37,000 Evertonians packed into Goodison on Saturday to watch the 2-0 defeat," he commented.