Two suicide bombers blow themselves up on way to World Cup match

Two Somali suicide bombers blew themselves up accidentally in a failed attack on the weekend’s World Cup qualifier between Ethiopia and Nigeria in Addis Ababa.

According to the Calgary Sun, the incident occurred in the Bole district of the city around 5km from the stadium where Sunday’s match was to be played.

The detonation took place at a residential property about one hour before the match was due to kick off, with three suspects detained at the scene. The area is home to a small Somali refugee population.

A government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said: “They were Somali nationals and plotted to carry out a suicide attack disguised as fans on either the stadium or areas where large crowds gathered to watch the game.

“Heavy police presence must have caused their nervousness and state of agitation which led to the detonation that caused their own death.”

The report suggests that football shirts, explosives, grenades and firearms were discovered at the scene.

While there has been no claim of responsibility thus far, Somali Al-Shabaab rebels have promised to exact revenge on Ethiopia for sending troops into Somalia to fight Al-Qaeda militants, the Calgary Sun reports.

Erick Thohir buys Inter

Inter president Massimo Moratti has confirmed that he has reached an agreement to sell the club to Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir.

Talks over a possible takeover deal have been ongoing for several months as Moratti looked to relinquish his majority shareholding.

Moratti has revealed that terms of the takeover deal have been agreed, with him selling 70 per cent of the club for €350 million.

“Everything has been signed, in a few hours there will be a press release,” said Moratti.

“Satisfied? Yes, this has taken a long time, but eventually we have got there, everything seems to be in balance.

The decision as to whether Moratti remains as Inter president is believed to have been left up to the Italian himself.

“About the role of president, that does not have to be decided yet, but it will depend only on me,” “There is all the love, but also the relief of leaving the club to respectable people in terms of their character.

“Now I will try to adapt to a new rhythm.”

In the immediate wake of the takeover there has been talk of Inter emulating the likes of big-spending Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Although, it should be remembered, that Moratti himself was no slouch in the transfer market. The solitary Champions League success achieved during his 18-year tenure was achieved as at cost of €600 million – and Moratti sells his stake with the club currently €300 million in debt. Thohir will have to go some to matching that kind of profligacy.

Fans attack players cars

Nine cars belonging to Red Star Belgrade players had their windows smashed and shampoo bottles hurled inside in a protest by fans against the team’s poor results.

The players were in a meeting with new coach Cedomir Janevski at Belgrade’s Marakana stadium, when the group managed to break their way into the car park, where they damaged at least twenty cars.

Guards, present at the car park, reportedly were overwhelmed by the thirty or so hooligans.

The incident came a day after the players issued an open letter claiming Serbia’s most popular club is facing an ”alarming” financial situation amid feuding within its leadership.

The players said they have to train on poorly maintained fields in the largest stadium in the Balkans, and they even lack shampoo in the dressing room.

Red Star, who won the European Cup in 1991, owe millions of pounds to players, coaches and creditors and for years have suffered poor results. The fans blame the players.

Goal of the Day

Wonderfully struck effort from the halfway line by Robert Zulj for Austria Under-21 against Holland Under-21.

Quote of the Day

“(Mario) Balotelli is an imbecile. In the best of cases he is a capricious, spoilt and full-of-money child who lives in an environment where it is difficult to tell good from evil.”

Italian Senator and leading anti-mafia campaigner, Rosaria Capacchione, passes judgment on Mario Balotelli, after the Milan striker declined to be considered a symbol against organised crime.

Bruno Metsu, the ‘White Sorcerer’ dies

The former Senegal coach Bruno Metsu has died of cancer at the age of 59.

Known as “The White Sorcerer”, Metsu was diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2012 having replaced Diego Maradona as coach of Al Wasl in Dubai.

Metsu stood down as coach of Dubai first division side Al Wasl in October due to health reasons. He subsequently told L’Equipe newspaper in July that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“I underwent medical tests and the guy announces to me afterwards that I had terminal cancer. ‘You have cancer of the colon, the liver and the lungs.’ They gave me three months to live, It was such a shock,” he said.

He died at a clinic in his home town of Coudekerque-Village in northern France.

“He died overnight at 3:30 a.m,” said Herve Beddeleem, the executive director of BCM Gravelines-Dunkirk basketball club told AFP, confirming a report in La Voix du Nord newspaper.

“I am shattered by this news. Bruno had everything to be happy: an exemplary professional career, money, a happy marriage and children and then this cancer takes him away. It’s just incredible,” he said.

Metsu is best remembered for coaching Senegal to a 1-0 win over the defending world champions France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea.

Senegal reached the last eight and also got to the Africa Cup of Nations final in the same year.

He went on to achieve success in the Middle East, winning the Gulf Cup in 2007 as head coach of the United Arab Emirates before becoming Qatar coach in 2009.

He also coached Al Ain to the Asian Champions League title in 2003.

Gareth Bale deal was not a record fee, say Real Madrid

Despite reports to the contrary, it is Cristiano Ronaldo and not Gareth Bale who is the world’s most expensive player, according to figures revealed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

The Portuguese star completed a €94 million (£80 million) switch from Manchester United four years ago, setting a new world transfer record in the process.

However, Bale’s deadline-day move to the Santiago Bernabeu was widely-reported to have broken that, with several sources claiming the fee was €100 million (£85.4 million).

Perez, speaking to the Intereconomia television channel, has revealed that the club have insured Bale for the full amount of his transfer fee, which he confirmed was €91 million (£78 million).

“It’s a life insurance, against accidents. Bale is insured for the amount he cost,” he said.

The Spanish chief also dismissed reports that the 24-year-old Wales international had suffered a herniated disc, and believes he could return to action against Malaga on Saturday.

“They said it was a hernia, but it isn’t. If he had one we would say so like usual,” he added.

“(Bale) hopes to be able to play on Saturday. His problem, as the whole world knows, is the lack of pre-season training, he suffered a thigh injury.

“But now he’s perfectly fine. I think he’s training normally, hoping to play Saturday.”