CITY’S SAGNA CHARGED
LONDON: Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has been charged with misconduct by the FA for his “10 against 12” instagram post after their 2-1 Premier League win over Burnley on Jan 2. Referee Lee Mason sent off City midfielder Fernandinho in the 32nd minute and the FA have alleged Frenchman Sagna’s comment, which was later deleted, questioned the official’s integrity. “it is alleged that a comment posted on social media by the Manchester City defender constituted improper conduct in that it questioned the integrity of the match official,” the FA said in a statement. Sagna, 33, has until Jan. 13 to respond to the charge. BARCELONA: Real Madrid have rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric for Thursday’s King’s Cup last 16, second leg at Sevilla but captain Sergio Ramos is back after injury, the club said on Wednesday.
With Real winning last week’s first leg 3-0, coach Zinedine Zidane’s priority looks to have turned to Sunday’s La Liga game back at Sevilla, which could have a huge impact on their bid to claim their first title in five years.
Real midfielders Lucas Vazquez and Mateo Kovacic have also returned to the squad alongside Ramos although James Rodriguez, scorer of two of the three goals in the first leg, has been left out after sustaining a calf injury. PARIS: Last year’s European Championship generated a €1.22 boost for host France, a study commissioned by the French government showed on Wednesday.
It said that 2.5 million fans attended the games even as France extended a state of emergency and intelligence agencies BERLIN:Struggling Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier Hernandez has scotched reports of a possible transfer.
According to media reports the club are ready to sell the former Manchester United star who has lost his scoring touch. But the Mexican international said no move was on the cards.
“Jonas Boldt and Rudi Voeller (Leverkusen’s manager and sports director respectively) have said nothing to me about other clubs,” he told Kicker. “The only things I have heard are rumours. No one has tried to contact me or my agent. I am happy here.”
Media reports said Leverkusen want to sell him either this month or at the end of the season, and magazine Sport Bild claimed Bayer want €25 million for him.