Eintracht fans banned

LONDON - Antonio Conte has revealed he wanted to return to Tottenham following the club’s FA Cup exit to Sheffield United but was stopped by doctors. Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup to the Championship side last Wednesday, suffering a 1-0 defeat.

Conte had been absent from the dugout since Tottenham’s Champions League last-16 first leg against AC Milan, with the head coach forced to watch from Italy after undergoing surgery to remove his gallbladder.

The 53-year-old said ahead of the second leg against the Italian champions he had wanted to return following the Sheffield United loss, but was ordered not to by doctors.

“Honestly I wanted to come back after the game against Sheffield United but the doctor stopped me and said you have to listen to us and have two days more,” Conte said.

NAPOLI - Eintracht Frankfurt fans will not be allowed to attend their Champions League return leg at Napoli next week with Italy’s interior ministry planning to stop any sale to visiting spectators, the Bundesliga club said yestersday.

Frankfurt, who lost the first leg 2-0 in Germany, expected just under 3 000 travelling fans in the stadium for the game.

“Eintracht Frankfurt were informed Monday that Italy’s Interior Ministry would issue a regulation that bans the (Italian) club from selling tickets to fans of Eintracht Frankfurt for the return leg on March 15,” the German club said in a statement.

Eligible

“This shall include the entire visiting fan contingent of 2 700 including 2 400 in the visiting fans sector, that Eintracht were eligible for. Frankfurt will comment further on this development once there are specific details of the regulation available.”

Fans of both teams clashed prior to the first leg in Frankfurt with police having labelled that game as high risk.

Europa League winners last year, Frankfurt, are enjoying their best run in decades on the pitch with fans offering strong support in away matches.

Tens of thousands of Eintracht fans travelled to Seville for that final with the club having had just 10 000 tickets at their disposal.

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