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E F G H
Shearer apologizes for tackle
LONDON (AP) -- England captain Alan Shearer has apologized to World Cup colleague Tony Adams, a former England captain, after an ugly tackle that earned him a yellow card at Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley.Shearer, whose Newcastle team lost 2-0 to Adams' Arsenal, made the challenge just before halftime, needlessly hitting the Gunners defender and knocking him to the turf.
"I told Tony Adams after the game that I was sorry," Shearer said. "I found him to tell him this, but there were five or six moments like that during the game.
"I don't feel I made contact but wanted to make certain that everything was OK with him."
Journalist to take Balakov to court
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) -- A German journalist plans to take Bulgarian star Krassimir Balakov to court for allegedly hitting him before last week's Cup-Winners' Cup final.
Hoger Gayer of the Stuttgarter Zeitung claims the talented VfB Stuttgart midfielder, angry over his reporting, verbally abused the reporter and hit him on the head.
Balakov denied the problem, which reportedly took place while both were on a plane to the match at Stockholm. Gayer did not say what charges would be filed.
VfB Stuttgart lost the final 1-0 to Chelsea.
Maritimo grabs Portugal's third UEFA Cup berth
LISBON (AP-CP) -- Canadian striker Alex Bunbury and his FC Maritimo squad have won a berth in next season's UEFA Cup.
Maritimo beat champion FC Porto 3-2 on the last day of the league season Sunday to finish fifth overall and clinch the third UEFA Cup place from the Portuguese first division.
The Madeira island club will join third-placed Guimaraes, which beat Setubal 2-1, and fourth-placed Sporting of Lisbon, which lost 2-0 at Braga, in next season's European competition.
FC Porto secured the title earlier this month and ended with 77 points on a 24-5-5 record, nine points ahead of second-placed Benfica.
FC Porto's Brazilian striker Mario Jardel finished top scorer with 23 goals. Bunbury scored 11 on the season.
Nuno Gomes had five goals in Benfica's 7-1 thrashing of Leca to take his season's total to 18. Benfica will enter the qualifying rounds of the European Champions' Cup.
"Big Ron" to leave Sheffield Wednesday
SHEFFIELD, England (AP) -- Much-travelled veteran manager Ron Atkinson was looking for another job Sunday when Sheffield Wednesday announced it would not be renewing his six-month contract.
Atkinson returned to Hillsborough for a second spell in November after Wednesday fired David Pleat and he successfully ensured that the club avoided relegation. But only just.
Wednesday finished 16th in the 20-club standings as Bolton, Barnsley and Crystal Palace went down.
The 59-year-old former Manchester United, Aston Villa, Coventry and Atletico Madrid manager, was only hired on a six-month contract which runs out at the end of the month.
World Cup hopeful Saudi Arabia beats Namibia
CANNES, France (AP) -- World Cup qualifier Saudi Arabia beat Namibia 2-1 on Sunday in an exhibition match.
The Saudi goals came from Sami Al-Gabr in the first half and Ibrahim Al-Sweed in the second.
The Saudi Arabian team flies to London today to prepare for an exhibition match against England on Wednesday night.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan