Didier Drogba (36), the Chelsea and Ivory Coast International striker, has announced his retirement from international football. He wants to concentrate on his club career, with Chelsea in his second spell, and hope to replicate the form that helped the club, to win many domestic and European titles. Drogba who left in 2012 after helping them win their first ever Champions League trophy, said that he was proud to have captained his country, and helped to put them on the world stage. ''I'm proud to have captained this team for eight years, and to have contributed to putting my country on the world stage.'' He played in all the three World Cup tournaments his country has participated in.
The very talented former Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez (27), who joined FC Barcelona this summer will find out next week, if his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), for biting the Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group match is successful. Suarez, Barcelona and the Uruguay FA are hoping that CAS will reduce his punishment for the incident, which he first denied and then later appologised for his actions.
Fifa banned him for 4 months from all football activities, including 9 international matches and a fine of €81,000. A statement from CAS read:
''The panel will issue it's decision as soon as possible, probably before the end of next week.''
Andy Murray (27), the British number one tennis player, has been beaten in the quarter final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto Canada, 7 - 6 (7 - 5), 4 - 6,
6 - 4, by the French player Jo - Wilfried Tsonga, who had already beaten the world number one, Novak Djorkovic in the tournament. Murray was the man who ended in 2013, the 75 years of his country waiting in agony to see, a British man win the prestigeous Wimbledon trophy. The last one that won it before Andy was Fred Perry.
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina (31), who was on loan to Serie A clubside Napoli last season has signed a three years contract with German champions Bayern Munich. He was the number one goalkeeper for Liverpool, until the arrival of Simon Mignolet, which forced him to go on a season loan to Napoli. The Spanish international made 394 appearances for the Merseyside club fron 2005 to 2013. Pepe is not going to find it easy to dislodge, Manuel Neuer, from the number one spot. Neuer is in top form and has won many titles including the World Cup champion last month, with the golden gloves as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Thomas Vermaelen (28), the Belgium international and Arsenal captain has been sold to FC Barcelona at an agreed fee of €18.5m. The Man United coach, Louis van Gaal, was very much interested in signing the defender but did not agree with Arsenal's request of fee plus a player. The Arsenal's coach, ArseneWenger, had earlier this week said over the speculations, surrounding whether Vermaelen will be leaving or staying, he said that he may leave. Wenger said that there was the possibility that he may leave, but that he would have liked him to stay, but understood his need to play more matches, which he did not get last season. When asked yesterday, whether there were outside clubs seriously interested in the player, he answered, yes.
The NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs has appointed Becky Hammon, as an assistant coach to their franchise. She is the first paid professional woman assistant coach, to be employed on a full time basis, by an NBA team. She is currently playing for San Antonia Stars in the WNBA, and will be retiring at the end of the season, to move to the next phase of her career.
Hammon is not the first woman assistant coach in the NBA to coach men.
Lisa Boyer in 2000/01 worked with John Lucas, the coach of Cleveland Cavaliers, but she was not a paid assistant and couldn't travel with the team.
San Antonio Spurs' coach, Gregg Popovich said, that he is looking forward to working with her, as he believes that she will be of benefit to the team.
''I very much look forward to the addition of Becky Hammon to our staff.''
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