Explosive rivalry

Swedish clubs Hammarby and Djurgarden have been summoned to attend a crisis meeting after a bomb was found outside Stockholm’s new Tele2 arena, which the two sides are due to share.

“After technicians inspected it, the suspected offence was renamed from planning of public devastation to attempted murder,” said Kjell Lindgren, spokesman for the Stockholm police.

The device was found on Thursday as a Djurgarden masters team was preparing for a charity match, which rival Hammarby fans saw as an attempt to “claim” the arena by playing the first game there.

“We are not naive, we knew that there were strong emotions over us playing at the stadium,” Djurgarden’s communications manager Gunnar Gidelfeldt told Sportbladet. It was a test event,.

“We did not inaugurate the stadium. A premiere is supposed to be an important football game.”

Hammarby are due to be play the first game at the new stadium against Örgryte, followed by Djurgården against Norrköping the following day.

The charity match was cancelled as the explosive device was investigated and dealt with, and representatives of both clubs have been called to a meeting with police.

Crowd trouble

Monaco have been issued a three-point deduction (one suspended) and ordered to play one match behind closed doors following crowd trouble.

The Principality-based outfit was punished for trouble after the 2-1 victory over Le Mans in May.

It’s hard to imagine there ever being trouble at the sparsely-populated Stade Louis II, unless perhaps, it was a dispute over where to moor the yacht or possibly an incident in which the one man present was bitten by his dog.

But, it seems, even in the rarefied world of Monaco it’s not just the thought of paying tax that stirs the passions among the locals. The incident occurred after Claudio Ranieri’s men were officially crowned Ligue 2 champions, when the home supporters invaded the pitch which resulted in the referee being hit by a fan.

The LFP released a statement, which read: “Behavior of Monaco fans: the use of pyrotechnics, the pitch-invasion at the end of the match and the brutality towards the referee by one supporter.”

Perhaps it was the one man and his dog.

Turkey shoot

Former Turkey coach Ersun Yanalhas agreed to take charge of Fenerbahce, replacing Aykut Kocaman who resigned at the end of May.

Yanal, national team coach between 2005 and 2007, has signed a one-year deal after recently quitting Eskisehirspor.

His appointment coincides with a difficult period times for the Istanbul club who have been banned from European competition for two seasons over their involvement in a domestic match-fixing scandal.

Fenerbahce, who finished second in the Turkish league last season, will miss out on next season’s Champions League which they had been due to enter in the third qualifying round.

 Fenerbahçe released a statement confirming the move.

The statement read: “Our new manager Ersun Yanal will hold a press conference within the next few days. We welcome Ersun Yanal to the club and wish him the best of luck.”

Given recent events, he will need it.

Goal of the day

There was something old school about Darlington Nagbe’s mesmerising solo effort for Portland Timbers against FC Dallas.

FC Dallas will be sick of the sight of Dagbe; a week ago he scored another beauty when the sides met in the MLS.

Keeping an eye on him

Amid tales of her boyfriend being involved in late night games of strip poker, Colombian singer Shakira made sure she could keep her eye on him.

Penalty of the day

Cool as a cucumber, Italy’s Antonio Candreva steps up and dinks a ‘Panenka‘ past Iker Casillas.

Best of friends…

Lionel Messi believes he and Neymar can play together, despite former Barcelona coach, Johan Cruyff, suggesting the Argentina captain might be sold to make way for the new arrival.

Cruyff claimed the Spanish champions could sell the four-time Ballon d’Or winner after Neymar completed his £48million move to the Nou Camp.

“No, I wouldn’t have signed Neymar,” Cruyff told Marca. “With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi – and some would agree with that, others not.”

In his last full season in Brazil, Neymar scored 43 goals in 47 games for Santos, while, Messi scored 60 goals in 50 appearances for Barcelona.

But Messi is looking forward to teaming up with the 21-year-old Brazilian and believes they will fit into the same system.

“I know Neymar is a great player who is going to bring a lot to Barcelona,” he said in that uncontroversial way of his. “God willing, we will be able to play together at Barca.”

Unpaid labour

A French court has ordered Ivory Coast international Didier Drogba to pay €450,000 to a construction company based in Corsica for unpaid work on a villa in Abidjan.

The company Acqua Viva dragged took the striker to court in May for his alleged refusal to settle the balance for work carried out at his house completed in 2009.

The company also complained that armed men denied its workers access to the site, which the judge described as unfair and said it could have been under instructions from Drogba and his wife Lala Diakite.

The striker decided to build a new house in his native Ivory Coast and in order to enjoy uninterrupted supply of water, Drogba hired Acqua Nova which installed the entire water treatment system. After receiving a deposit, the company claimed that Drogba reneged on the full settlement.

Though the 35-year-old former Marseille player, who joined Turkish side Galatasaray early this year, has decided to lodge an appeal, he must pay the money immediately as the court has ordered the provisional enforcement of the decision. Estimated to be worth over £20 million, Drogba should have little trouble paying his fine.

Quote of the day

“It was a punishment sat on the bench. To train even though you know you won’t play – it is psychologically difficult. I already knew I’d be leaving England in winter, because having to sit on the bench was like living in a labour camp. I nearly suffered depression, but I didn’t because I’m mentally strong. The monotony of life there was crushing me.”

New Zenit St Petersburg signing, Andrei Arshavin, explains why he had to leave England.

Old friends

Alessandro Del Piero has turned down a move to Ligue 1 club Ajaccio.

The Corsican outfit, who appointed Del Piero’s former Juventus team-mate Fabrizio Ravanelli as their new manager earlier in the month, have confirmed that they made an unsuccessful approach for the 38-year-old.

Del Piero – who left Juventus to join Sydney FC in September 2012 – initially agreed to move to the Stade Francois Coty, but has since had a change of heart.

A statement on Ajaccio’s official website read: “For several weeks now, the club has been in advanced talks with the famous Italian striker Alessandro Del Piero. Aged 38 and currently a Sydney FC player, the striker won’t come to AC Ajaccio after all.

“After finding an agreement in principle, Alessandro Del Piero has decided to continue his adventure in Australia for family reasons.”

With Del Piero staying put, Ravanelli is expected to now turn his attentions to signing another old friend…Roberto Baggio. If they’re good enough…