Bayern Munich resumes Bundesliga with 2-1 win at Hamburg

BERLIN (AP) — Robert Lewandowski scored twice for Bayern Munich to extend its Bundesliga lead with a 2-1 win at Hamburger SV as the league resumed from its month-long winter break on Friday.

After an encouraging start from the hard-tackling home side, Lewandowski opened the scoring with a penalty in the 37th minute after goalkeeper Rene Adler brought down Thomas Mueller just inside the area. Adler picked up Hamburg's third yellow card and Lewandowski's score was Bayern's only shot on goal in the first half.

The Poland striker claimed his second - his 17th of the season - in the 61st, when he deflected Mueller's volley past the helpless Adler, eight minutes after Aaron Hunt's free kick somehow found its way in for Hamburg.

TV replays made it hard to tell whether Hamburg striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga or the defending Xabi Alonso got a final touch to Hunt's free kick before it nestled inside Manuel Neuer's right post, but it was later ruled an own goal for Alonso.

Bayern defender David Alaba struck the post with a free kick minutes after what proved Lewandowski's winner. Bayern moved 11 points clear of Borussia Dortmund ahead of the rest of the 18th round. Dortmund visits Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia, who was in his first stint in charge when the side last defeated Bayern on Sept. 26, 2009, was furious that his team was left empty-handed despite limiting the visitors' chances.

"It would make you sick from our point of view. We hardly allowed any chances. It's really annoying for us," said Labbadia, whose side has now gone 15 competitive games without a win over Bayern. Bayern looked rusty after the 33-day break. The visitors had to cope without the injured Mario Goetze, Franck Ribery, Medhi Benatia, Rafinha and Juan Bernat. Arjen Robben made a late substitute appearance, while defender Jerome Boateng went off with a groin injury in the 56th. Bayern said Boateng would undergo an examination back in Munich to determine the severity of the injury.

"We could have played a little better but I'm satisfied," Mueller said. "We knew we weren't at our best level but we knew we were at a level where we could compete and win the game. We'll improve from game to game."

Bayern is chasing a Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup treble in Pep Guardiola's last season in charge. The Spanish coach has announced his intention to leave for the Premier League after completing his three-year deal.

Roma fires Garcia after only 1 win in last 10 matches

While no immediate replacement was announced, Luciano Spalletti was widely expected to be hired for his second stint in charge of the Serie A club. "I'd like to thank Rudi Garcia for all of his hard work since joining the club," said Roma president Jim Pallotta, part of a group of Boston executives who purchased the three-time Italian champions in 2011 to become the first foreign-majority owners in Serie A.

"We've all enjoyed some great moments during his time at Roma but we believe that this is the right time for a change." After beginning the season as an expected title contender, Roma is down to fifth place in the Italian league, seven points behind leader Napoli.

Spalletti, who coached Roma from 2005-09, reportedly flew to Miami to meet with Pallotta to go over contract details. Media reports suggested Roma would hire Spalletti to an 18-month contract at 3 million euros ($3.2 million) per season.

Roma said that youth club coach Alberto De Rossi would run Wednesday's training session. Garcia was hired in 2013 and Roma finished runner-up in his first two seasons. A Frenchman who had previously coached Lille, Garcia quickly endeared himself to Roma fans by guiding the club to 10 straight wins to open the 2013-14 season.

But troubles began this season following Roma's derby win over Lazio in November, and the squad never really recovered from the 6-1 thrashing at Barcelona in the Champions League later that month. Roma managed to advance from the group stage of the Champions League following an unimpressive 0-0 draw with BATE Borisov and will next face Real Madrid in the round of 16.

The rout by Barcelona highlighted Roma's weak defense. The squad has conceded 22 goals in 19 Serie A matches — easily the worst among the top clubs. Garcia's last match was a 1-1 draw at home with AC Milan on Saturday. Three days earlier, Roma wasted a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Chievo Verona. And before the holiday break, Roma was eliminated from the Italian Cup by second-division club Spezia.

Spalletti could become the fifth manager for Roma's American owners. The first man the Americans hired was Luis Enrique, who guided Barcelona to the Champions League title last season. The 56-year-old Spalletti won two Italian Cups and an Italian Super Cup with Roma. He then spent five years with Zenit St. Petersburg before being fired in March 2014.

Spalletti also guided Roma to three straight runner-up finishes in Serie A. Then, after a sixth-place finish in 2008-09, he resigned after Roma lost the opening two matches the following season. Roma next faces last-place Hellas Verona on Sunday.

West Ham come back vs Bournemouth for 3rd straight win

The result lifted West Ham one point above Manchester United in fifth. Harry Arter scored his maiden league goal early for Bournemouth, hosting its first Premier League game under lights, and hung on to the lead until an hour in.

Dimitri Payet, making his first start in more than three months after a knee injury, equalized with a smart free kick off the underside of the crossbar, and set up Enner Valencia for the winner. Valencia netted a second time, off another free kick; all three goals came in a span of 17 minutes.

"It was a team win but Payet made the difference," West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said. "West Ham fans love that kind of player with a bit of magic, and he has got more than a bit. "What I admire most is his character, because that is what all true champions have got. When he makes a mistake - and I am talking about training here - he is crazy and angry at himself, and that is what makes him a leader."

Villa earns 1-0 win over Palace after goalkeeper error

Palace goalie Wayne Hennessey allowed a header from Joleon Lescott at a corner to dribble out of his grasp and over the line after halftime. Villa ended its 19-game, club-record winless run in the league to renew hope of surviving relegation and maintaining its unbroken status in the Premier League. Villa is provisionally eight points from safety.

"We suffered so much in the previous weeks and today we are very happy," Villa manager Remi Garde said. "The players showed pride." Palace winger Wilfried Zaha struck a shot against the post in the first minute but manager Alan Pardew said his seventh-place team "lacked energy and quality."

"One of our poorest displays of the season," Pardew said. On the mistake for the goal, Pardew added: "Wayne Hennessey will obviously be disappointed with the goal — he got himself in a mess. But he's been terrific for us and that's the nature of goalies."

Boring United? Van Gaal's team in 3-3 thriller at Newcastle

January 13, 2016

In one of the most entertaining matches of the English Premier League, United squandered a two-goal lead, went back in front through an exquisite shot from Wayne Rooney, and then conceded a 90th-minute goal to draw at Newcastle 3-3 on Tuesday.

The thriller at St. James' Park might briefly silence the many critics who have been criticizing United's often ponderous style of play, but that will come as little comfort to under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal, whose side slipped to sixth place in the standings.

"It feels like a defeat," said Van Gaal, who acknowledged before the game that even he was "very bored" during some United matches. "We have given it away." A positive for United was the performance of Rooney, who scored twice, set up the other goal by Jesse Lingard, and put in an impressive all-round performance. He has four goals in three matches in 2016, having struggled for form in the first half of the season.

Last-place Aston Villa collected its first win since the opening day, beating Crystal Palace 1-0 courtesy of a goalkeeper error by Wayne Hennessey. The Wales international let Joleon Lescott's header slip through his grasp and over the line, ending Villa's 19-game winless run and giving the team renewed hope of surviving relegation.

Villa provisionally is eight points from safety. Also, West Ham came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1, with Enner Valencia scoring twice and fit-again playmaker Dimitri Payet scoring the other goal for the visitors.

West Ham moved into fifth place, above Man United. With Newcastle struggling for goals of late and United seemingly restricted by Van Gaal's suffocating approach, few would have foreseen their end-to-end match. It was a throwback to many of the exciting games in Alex Ferguson's reign at United.

Rooney's ninth-minute goal from the penalty spot set the tone, before the England striker led a counterattack that ended with Lingard scoring from a low shot. Goals by Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic, also from a penalty, brought Newcastle level, only for Rooney to restore United's lead by curling home a screamer from 20 meters in the 79th.

With seconds left of regulation time, United failed to clear and Paul Dummett advanced from left back to fire in a fierce shot from the edge of the area that deflected into the top corner. "It is the best feeling in the world," the Newcastle-born Dummett said.

The result keeps the pressure on Van Gaal, whose job appeared to be on the line over the festive period when United was on an eight-match winless run. The 20-time English champions won back-to-back games to start 2016, against Swansea in the league and third-tier Sheffield United in the FA Cup, but both performances were unconvincing.

United plays its biggest rival, Liverpool, on Sunday.

FIFA suspends secretary general Jerome Valcke from duty

GENEVA (AP) — FIFA suspended President Sepp Blatter's right-hand man Jerome Valcke on Thursday and ordered an investigation into alleged unethical conduct, throwing world soccer's scandal-scarred governing body into further turmoil.

Valcke, FIFA's secretary general for the past eight years under the embattled Blatter, was hours earlier the subject of allegations over a deal for black market sales of tickets to 2014 World Cup matches.

"FIFA today announced that its Secretary General Jerome Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties effective immediately until further notice," the governing body said in a brief statement which did not specify details.

"Further, FIFA has been made aware of a series of allegations involving the secretary general and has requested a formal investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee." A call to Valcke's mobile phone was not answered late Thursday. It was unclear if he was already in Russia where the 1,000-day countdown to the 2018 World Cup kickoff is being marked Friday in Red Square, Moscow.

The 55-year-old Frenchman's main duty is overseeing organization of the world's most-watched sports event which earned FIFA around $5 billion for the 2014 tournament in Brazil. An alleged deal linked to that World Cup threatens to end Valcke's FIFA career months early. The former television journalist and sports marketing executive has been scheduled to exit on Feb. 26 with Blatter amid American and Swiss investigations of corruption.

Earlier Thursday, a former FIFA ticketing partner made allegations about Valcke supplying top-category tickets to matches in Brazil which were sold at three times face value. The marketing executive, Benny Alon, also made an unproven allegation that Valcke had been prepared to profit personally from the deal.

Alon circulated a contract, seen by The Associated Press, to receive 8,750 tickets in the best seats for each World Cup from 2010 to 2018. The Israeli-American showed journalists copies of email correspondence, also seen by the AP, which appeared to show Valcke referring to potential ticket sales as "my pension fund."

Valcke's lawyer in New York said in a statement his client "unequivocally denies the fabricated and outrageous accusations." "Mr. Valcke never received or agreed to accept any money or anything else of value from Mr. Alon," wrote Barry Berke of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel.

Valcke declined comment to the AP earlier Thursday, and said FIFA would issue a statement. The FIFA ethics committee declined to confirm if an investigation of Valcke is ongoing. "The panel points out that — as a matter of principle — it will analyze all information that is brought to its attention of its own accord," it said in a statement.

It was unclear who made the decision regarding Valcke, who is Blatter's personal choice as his right-hand man at FIFA headquarters. Since June, U.S. law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has advised FIFA and conducted an internal investigation of alleged wrongdoing.

Tall and elegant, Valcke has been one of the most public faces of FIFA in recent years. The former French TV presenter's readiness to answer questions has been in stark contrast to senior members of FIFA's executive committee who are mostly secretive and often openly hostile to media scrutiny.

Valcke rose to the top administrative job at FIFA soon after being fired in 2006 during a scandal. As marketing director, he was implicated in misleading World Cup sponsor MasterCard during contract renewal talks.

FIFA and Blatter eventually signed with Visa, provoking a legal suit from Mastercard which football's governing body settled for $90 million. Valcke's conduct and business ethics were severely criticized by a New York judge who heard the case.

FIFA fired Valcke and other marketing officials involved in the deal, then re-hired him several months later as secretary general after Blatter was re-elected president. FIFA has been in crisis since the federal investigations of bribery and corruption implicating senior soccer officials were revealed in May.

Valcke was identified as having processed transfers of $10 million from FIFA accounts which were alleged by the U.S. Department of Justice to be bribes for CONCACAF officials to support South Africa's successful bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA and Valcke said the payments were authorized by then-finance committee chairman Julio Grondona, after being requested by South African officials to be paid from their tournament organization funds.

Still, Blatter announced his planned resignation on June 2, the day after FIFA and Valcke's role in the affair was revealed. Blatter has said FIFA's troubles stem from the December 2010 decision to award Russia and Qatar hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

Valcke has been blamed for urging FIFA in 2008 to run a dual bidding contest, in order to secure long-term commercial security amid economic downturn. However, the twin blockbuster contests fueled allegations of deal-making and voting pacts, which are now being investigated by Switzerland's attorney-general in a case likely to take several years.

Valcke is scheduled to leave FIFA at the end of February with Blatter, and has acknowledged that the next FIFA president should appoint his own secretary general to have a fresh start for a new administration.

Since 2007, Valcke's main responsibility has been to oversee contracts and the troubled preparations for two World Cups. Both events in South Africa and Brazil were played with few organizational hitches and exceeded expectations.

In July, at the 2018 World Cup draw in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valcke reflected on his time in office. "As the head of the administration I can be proud of what FIFA has done," he said. "The administration, I don't think, has ever been part of any of the stories which are around FIFA, including all the commercial agreements we have signed from 2007 to 2015."

Hamilton says matching Senna's F1 wins would be emotional

SINGAPORE (AP) — Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton is poised to match the total number of race wins held by his childhood idol Ayrton Senna, and says notching a 41st victory in Singapore this weekend would be an emotional moment.

Hamilton has a big lead over Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the standings after winning the past two races and took this grand prix last year, so he will be hard to beat at the Marina Bay street circuit.

It would be fitting if he equaled Senna's record in precisely the same number of races the Brazilian drove — 161. "I always wanted to emulate Ayrton Senna and I am very close to the races he did, just one race away, and one from the races he won," Hamilton said Thursday. "I would imagine if I was to achieve the same amount at some stage, even this weekend, it would be very emotional."

It was also equal rival Sebastian Vettel's number of wins and put him tied for third on the all-time list. Michael Schumacher holds the record with 91, with Alain Prost second on 51. Hamilton had made it his career goal to equal Senna's three world championships, and only a late-season collapse will prevent him doing so this year. However, he had not kept track of how close he was to the Brazilian's tally of race wins. Senna's career was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

"After the last race I was only notified how many races I had done, and to see that almost correlate with the career that Ayrton did, I couldn't believe it," he explained. "Now I am set on that goal, and very close. It may or may not happen this weekend, I still have a serious challenge ahead of me, but it feels great to be up there."

The Briton's major threats this weekend come from Rosberg and Ferrari's Vettel, whose grand prix wins in Malaysia and Hungary this year were the only interruptions to Mercedes' dominance. Both those victories came in hot conditions, which will again feature in tropical Singapore — raising the prospect of Ferrari again being able to preserve tires better than Mercedes. However, Vettel wasn't counting on it.

"It's a very difficult comparison, Malaysia and here," Vettel said. "The sun goes down, we race at night, which makes a big difference. The track's completely different, we use different (tire) compounds.

"Looking at this year so far, when it's hotter, maybe we were a bit more competitive, and that's a good thing, but this circuit is unique in many ways." There will be a new face in the racing lineup this weekend, with American driver Alexander Rossi to make his debut with the Manor team. Rossi, who has previously driven in practice sessions for Manor and the former Caterham team, will replace Roberto Merhi for five of the remaining seven races this season.

"I've been close quite a few times, and it's very surreal now that it's about to happen," Rossi said. "This is a major step in really firmly putting myself on the Formula One map." Rossi has held talks about the prospect of a race drive with the Haas team when it enters F1 in 2016, but despite the natural fit of an American driver with an American team, the signals are that those seats have already been assigned.

Current Lotus driver Romain Grosjean has been linked with a move to Haas next season, and hinted at that on Thursday without confirming the move. "I've made my decision, everything is clear in my head," Grosjean said. "I know what's going to happen with me in the future, but if you don't mind, I won't tell you any more."

Murray faces practice partner Kokkinakis in Davis Cup semis

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Andy Murray will play his friend and practice partner Thanasi Kokkinakis in the opening match of the Davis Cup semifinal between Britain and Australia as the host country bids to reach its first final since 1978.

Murray will open the best-of-five series on Friday against Kokkinakis on an indoor hard court at the Emirates Arena. Dan Evans, who was brought in at late notice as Britain's second singles player ahead of James Ward and Kyle Edmund, was drawn to face Bernard Tomic in the second match.

Murray's brother, Jamie, and Dominic Inglot were nominated to face Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth in Saturday's doubles. The third-ranked Andy Murray believes the blend of his experience and home support will be a big advantage in the opening match against the 72nd-ranked Kokkinakis. The two have never played each other.

"He's a pretty explosive player, but it'll be a tough one for him," Murray said. "I expect a tough match, I know Thanasi well. But this weekend we are obviously rivals. The atmosphere when we played the first round (against the United States) here was phenomenal and this time, it will be even better. It can work in his advantage, going out there with no fear but hopefully I can use my experience in these situations to my advantage."

Murray missed a team dinner on Wednesday night because of a stomach bug but said he is ready to play. "It has been a tiring few months with some tough matches in tough conditions but I feel I have recovered pretty well from that," said Murray, who lost in the fourth round at the U.S. Open to Kevin Anderson.

Kokkinakis said he is relishing taking on Murray. "He's a great player and to play him on home ground here in Glasgow will be a huge challenge for me," the Australian said. "I'm not sure whether knowing him well helps or hinders. I think he knows my game and I know his, although I've seen a bit more of him than he has of me."

Australia has won the Davis Cup 29 times, the last time in 2003. Britain has not won the Cup since 1936. The winning team in Glasgow will face either Belgium or Argentina in the final. The 300th-ranked Evans, who won a low-tier challenger event last weekend in Nottingham, England, was a late addition to the British team after Edmund hurt his ankle in practice on Tuesday. Evans has not played in Davis Cup since 2013.

"I felt Dan was the one who was in the best place to go in for the weekend. He looks sharp, he's very much match-fit and has played a lot of tennis," British team captain Leon Smith said. Evans will be an underdog against the 23rd-ranked Tomic, even though he beat the Australian in four sets at the 2013 U.S. Open.

""He's beaten me before so it's a smart move," Tomic said. "It's not easy playing someone I haven't beaten before, but I'm very confident with the way I'm playing."

Spain defeats France in Eurobasket with Gasol's 40 points

LILLE, France (AP) — Pau Gasol overwhelmed title holder France by scoring 40 points in an 80-75 victory in overtime on Thursday as Spain advanced to the final of the European basketball championship and into next year's Olympics.

Spain, champion in 2009 and 2011, will play the winner of Friday's semifinal between Serbia and Lithuania. The two finalists qualify automatically for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Gasol's 40 points were a personal record while playing for Spain and silenced the 26,000 partisan crowd. He also pulled down 11 rebounds.

"We came here to win the gold and now we have the opportunity to do it," Gasol said. "They played with a lot of energy in front of the home crowd but we never stopped believing. "We knew we had to give everything to beat this team."

Gasol scored the last eight points of the game, the last three with thunderous dunks, as Spain took revenge for losing to France in the semifinals two years ago. France also beat Spain in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Spain last year.

Spain has never finished lower than fourth in the past eight European championships. France led by 11 in the second quarter but Spain was never far behind and finished strongly. France star Tony Parker had a poor night, going 4-for-17 from the field for 10 points and six assists.

Spain had lost twice in group play, while France was undefeated in seven games coming into the semifinal. Gasol, who had 10 points in the fourth quarter, could have won the game with four seconds remaining but was blocked by France center Rudy Gobert.

With Gobert on his back, Gasol missed a layup in overtime, Gobert then dunked at the other end but, on the next Spain possession, Gobert fouled out and Gasol made both free throws to leave Spain behind by one.

Rudy Fernandez then blocked Parker and Gasol dunked for a 76-75 Spain lead. Gasol dunked again to make it a three-point game and then Nicolas Batum missed all three free throws that would have tied the game. Gasol's last dunk confirmed the victory.

Spain came to the tournament without several stars, including Serge Ibaka, Ricky Rubio and Juan Carlos Navarro, but Gasol has carried the team to the final with outstanding play. The Chicago Bulls center is the tournament's leading scorer and likely to be its Most Valuable Player regardless of the score in the final.

Gasol's hook shot gave Spain a 62-61 lead and guard Sergio Rodriguez made a layup for a three-point Spain lead, before Batum nailed a three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to level. Gasol was then blocked in the final second.

Rodriguez had 15 points for Spain. Batum and Nando de Colo added 14 each for France. Earlier, Greece rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Latvia 97-90 and finish fifth in the championship. Italy beat the Czech Republic 85-70 to place sixth.

FIBA said there would be no playoff for fifth place since both Greece and Italy advanced to an Olympic qualifying tournament with their victories on Thursday. Greece placed fifth because of its higher ranking by the sport's ruling body.

Latvia and the Czech Republic will play for seventh place that guarantees a spot in Olympic qualifying. The losing semifinalists also will take part in Olympic qualifying. (This story has been corrected to show that France had won seven straight games, not six straight, coming into the semifinal.)

League leader PSG looks to continue perfect start to season

After making an inconsistent start to its title defense last season, Paris Saint-Germain vowed to start strong this time amid fears that a difficult domestic campaign would impact the club's Champions League ambitions.

France's Didier Deschamps, right, talks to Anthony Martial as he walks to the pitch during a friendly soccer match against Serbia at Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, western France, Monday, Sept. 7, 2015. France won against Serbia 2-1.

PSG was often stretched last season as it battled until April before reaching top spot. That meant coach Laurent Blanc could not rest players before European games, and PSG looked leg-weary and lackluster when it lost a one-sided quarterfinal against Barcelona.

Blanc's players have clearly got the message this time, winning the first four league games of the season without conceding a goal to take a strong early grip on the title race. Friday's home game against Bordeaux may see Blanc rest one or two players prior to Tuesday's Champions League opener against Malmo.

Here are some things to know about this weekend's games in the French league:

AWAITING ANGEL

Angel Di Maria could make his first PSG start since joining from Manchester United.

The Argentina winger, who cost 63 million euros ($69 million) when he joined last month after an unhappy season with United, has made only one substitute appearance so far for PSG.

He made an immediate impact with a brilliant first-time pass for countryman Ezequiel Lavezzi in a 3-0 win at Monaco on Aug. 30.

Exempt from Argentina's recent friendlies against Bolivia and Mexico, Di Maria has been working on his fitness and Friday's match should give coach Laurent Blanc an idea as to whether he'll be sharp enough to face Malmo in the Champions League on Tuesday.

BLAISE OF GOALS

There is no stopping Blaise Matuidi at the moment.

The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is in the best form of his career. Having scored two goals and created two more in PSG's opening four wins of the league campaign, Matuidi netted both goals for France in Monday night's 2-1 win against Serbia.

The second goal, where he leaned back and hit a blistering volley from 25 yards, was so good that it drew comparisons with Zinedine Zidane's volley for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final.

At least it might stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic, scorer of 106 goals in 131 games for PSG, from making fun of Matuidi's finishing skills.

"He teases me a lot about it, but it's really good-natured," Matuidi said. "If my shots hit the stands in training and they go in during matches, then so much the better."

MONACO'S MILLIONS

Monaco has been in the headlines recently after selling 19-year-old forward Anthony Martial for an estimated 50 million euros ($56 million), with the deal rising to a potential 80 million ($90 million) if Martial reaches his designated targets.

The massive transfer fee raised eyebrows in world football because Martial, with a little more than 50 league games to his name, was largely an unknown quantity outside France.

But for Monaco it was very much business as usual.

Martial's sale followed those of midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia (Inter Milan), left back Layvin Kurzawa (Paris Saint-Germain), winger Yannick Ferreira Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), and highly-rated center-half Aymen Abdennour.

In other words, the spine of Leonardo Jardim's team from last season was sold. Including all the bonuses for each deal, Monaco's summer sales will generate up to 200 million euros ($224 million).

The summer before, Monaco sold James Rodriguez to Real Madrid and loaned Radamel Falcao to Manchester United just one season after buying them.

Whilst Monaco's finances are healthy, the policy of selling its best players hardly helps its bid to topple Paris Saint-Germain as France's leading club.

LYON'S LAMENT

Nabil Fekir's long-term injury is a massive blow to Lyon's hopes in the French league and in Europe.

Fekir, voted the French league's best young player last season, had scored four goals in his first four games so far — including a superb hat-trick away to Caen — heading into the international break.

That earned him a first start for France against Portugal, where he ruptured his knee ligaments early on.

Fekir faces up to six months out, and — with the transfer window closed — coach Hubert Fournier must reshuffle his forward line with the players he has.

That, at least, is good news for Claudio Beauvue, who joined in the summer after impressing for Guingamp last season.

Despite only starting two games, he has already scored twice and should now get a long run in the side.

DIABY'S RETURN

Midfielder Abou Diaby has trained for the first time since joining from Arsenal.

Diaby's career has been ravaged by injuries since he broke his ankle nine years ago. So much so that over the past four seasons with Arsenal he played a meager 16 league games, including just one substitute appearance in the past two seasons.

Given his terrible luck with injury, Diaby's two-year contract includes a pay-as-you-play deal.

Although he came through the training session unscathed, Diaby is not match fit for Sunday's home game against Bastia.

Prince Ali of Jordan announces bid for FIFA president

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan is running for FIFA president, saying Wednesday he will fight "deep-seated corruption and political deal-making" and make soccer's scandal-scarred governing body more transparent.

Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, flanked by school-age soccer players in uniforms, speaks before about 300 guests during an event at a Roman amphitheater in Amman, Jordan, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. The prince is running for FIFA president, saying Wednesday he will fight "deep-seated corruption and political deal-making" and make soccer's scandal-scarred governing body more transparent.

The prince also took apparent aim at a favorite in the race, UEFA President Michel Platini, without mentioning him by name. The 39-year-old royal made his announcement at a carefully staged event, speaking to about 300 invited guests, including young Jordanians and foreign diplomats, in a Roman amphitheater in the kingdom's capital of Amman. School-age soccer players in uniforms flanked the prince as he declared his candidacy in Arabic, then laid out his agenda in English.

The prince said if elected, he would shift some decision-making powers from FIFA headquarters in Zurich to national football associations. He promised to invest more in soccer development, make sure each member association has a dedicated national stadium within the next four years, do more for women's soccer and tackle the "plague of match-fixing."

The prince ran in the previous FIFA election in May, denying long-time incumbent Sepp Blatter a majority in the first round of voting. He stepped aside before the second round. Four days later, Blatter announced his plans to quit as separate U.S. and Swiss criminal investigations into soccer corruption escalated.

Prince Ali appeared to suggest that Platini, his former ally, lacked courage and failed to fully support him in the FIFA election loss to Blatter in May. "I was the only person who dared to challenge Mr. Blatter for the presidency of FIFA," the prince said. "And I had the courage to fight for change when others were afraid. "

"I conceded that election. Not because I was not the best candidate, but because others were using me to make room for themselves. They didn't have the guts to run, but I did." "Let me be clear," Prince Ali said of his renewed candidacy, "I want to finish what we started."

Earlier this week, the prince said Platini, a former French soccer great, is the wrong person for the job, given that Platini helped Blatter first get elected in 1998. The FIFA election will be held in February. Prince Ali and other candidates face an Oct. 26 deadline to gain the five required nominations from federations to be able to compete.

The prince said Wednesday that reforming FIFA will be a difficult task. "It is only through new leadership that FIFA can change," he said. "I do not believe that FIFA can give this sport back to the people of the world, without new leadership, untainted by the practices of the past.

"We must overcome deep-seated corruption and political deal-making," Prince Ali said. "FIFA will not be run as the personal fiefdom of an all-powerful clique."

Associated Press writer Hamza al-Soud in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report

Halep, Pennetta win in 3 sets in US Open quarterfinals

NEW YORK (AP) — Simona Halep appreciated the help from the heavens in her U.S. Open quarterfinal.

Flavia Pennetta, of Italy, reacts after losing a point to Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, during a quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, in New York.

Worn down after dropping the second set to Victoria Azarenka, the second-seeded Romanian got to rest up for nearly an hour-and-a-half when the sky opened up. "Thanks, God, for raining," she said in an on-court interview after her 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory Wednesday.

Halep, who's just 5-foot-6, came back on court with a 106 mph ace to prove just how fresh she felt. She advanced to face 26th-seeded Flavia Pennetta, who beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in another three-set match earlier Wednesday.

Azarenka also is a two-time major champ — as well as a two-time U.S. Open runner-up. Her big-match experience showed for much of the afternoon against Halep, who was seeking to reach just her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.

The 23-year-old Romanian had 40 winners to 19 unforced errors, while Azarenka had 38 winners to 42 unforced errors. At key moments, though, Azarenka was better, converting all five of her break-point chances while Halep was 6 for 19.

But when that final break point came at 3-3 in the third set, Halep converted it, and that was enough to squeeze out the victory with Romanian gymnastics gold medalist Nadia Comaneci cheering her on. "It was great to have a great champion in my box," Halep said.

The rain came in the fourth game of the final set and delayed the match for 1 hour, 25 minutes. Azarenka had broken Halep in her first service game of the set only to be immediately broken back. Azarenka was seeded just 20th after two injury-plagued seasons and hadn't been to a Grand Slam semifinal since the 2013 U.S. Open. In that time, Halep has soared up the rankings, reaching last year's French Open final.

Both women's quarterfinals Tuesday also went to three sets, the first time since the 1982 U.S. Open that all four women's quarters went the distance at a major. Pennetta rallied from down a set and a break to reach her second U.S. Open semifinal in three years.

"In the second set, I was really in trouble," Pennetta said. "I just keep going, playing, playing. It's unbelievable." In 38 career appearances at the other three majors, Pennetta has reached the quarters just once. She's done it six times in seven years at Flushing Meadows, including her only two trips to a Grand Slam semifinal.

"Before the tournament I never think to be so far in the tournament, so it's something special," said Pennetta, who had lost five of her last seven matches coming into the U.S. Open. The win by the 33-year-old Pennetta means that three of the women's semifinalists at a major will be at least 32 for the first time in the Open era. She joins another 33-year-old, Serena Williams, and fellow Italian Roberta Vinci, 32.

When a reporter started to apologize for asking Pennetta about her age, she playfully interrupted: "We are old. I know." It's also the first time in the Open era, which started in 1968, that two Italian women have reached the semifinals in the same Grand Slam tournament.

Pennetta beat the fifth-seeded Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on a steamy afternoon. Kvitova, who has battled mononucleosis this summer that's limited her practice time, was struggling physically by the end of the 2-hour, 23-minute match.

"Just from the beginning of the match I didn't really feel 100 percent ready today," Kvitova said. The U.S. Open has been the least successful major for the Czech lefty. Because of the illness, she wasn't expecting this would be the year she advanced past the fourth round for the first time.

"It wasn't really (an) easy situation," she said. "I'm kind of proud of myself how I played here." She led 3-1 in the second set Wednesday but couldn't close out the match, committing 60 unforced errors.

More storms were in the forecast for Wednesday night, with two men's quarterfinals still to be finished. Stan Wawrinka was facing Kevin Anderson, with Roger Federer meeting Richard Gasquet.

Football News

Sanchez nets 2 as Arsenal beats Hull 3-1 in Premier League

HULL, England (AP) — Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal effectively secured Champions League football for an 18th straight year by beating Hull 3-1 Monday in the Premier League.

The win means Arsenal is nine points ahead of fifth-place Liverpool, which has three games left to play. Third-place Arsenal also has a game in hand and a better goal difference. Arsenal put the game away during a 20-minute span in the first half as Sanchez scored with a deflected free kick in the 28th minute and Aaron Ramsey doubled the lead when he ran onto Santi Cazorla's long pass to score with another deflected shot in the 33rd. Ramsey then played Sanchez clear just before halftime and the Chile striker rounded goalkeeper Steve Harper to score into an open net.

Stephen Quinn pulled one back for Hull with a header in the 57th but Steve Bruce's team remained just one point above the relegation zone. Arsenal is tied on points with second-place Manchester City with a game in hand as it looks to finish in the top two for the first time in 10 years, behind already crowned champion Chelsea.

"We created many chances," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "Overall you could see a good dynamic in the team." Arsenal dominated the midfield in the first half with aggressive pressing and a fluid passing game, and the visitors took the lead after Sanchez was fouled by Jake Livermore outside the area. The Chilean's free kick deflected off Michael Dawson's head to wrongfoot Harper and fly into the net.

Five minutes later, Cazorla's perfectly lofted pass picked out Ramsey, who turned and fired past Harper with the aid of a heavy deflection off Robbie Brady's leg. The impressive Cazorla played in Sanchez again shortly afterward, but he failed in his attempt to lift the ball over Harper.

Sanchez was not to be denied a second, however, as Ramsey played in the striker, who took the ball around 40-year-old Harper before slotting in a calm finish. Bruce's response was to send on Irish midfielder David Meyler in the second half, and he played a significant part as Hull pulled one back. He clattered into Francis Coquelin and while Arsenal protested, Ahmed Elmohamady played in a superb cross that Quinn met with a stooping header than bounced past David Ospina.

Hull could really have been back in the game when McShane sent a bullet header over the crossbar but rarely threatened again. The Gunners received a further boost when Jack Wilshere made his first return to action since an ankle operation in November, coming on for Ramsey.

With no ambition and a revolt by fans, Newcastle in freefall

LONDON (AP) — There was a time when Newcastle owner Mike Ashley gave the impression, in public at least, that he cared about the team and that it was more than just a profit-making offshoot of his sports retail empire.

It wasn't just the way Ashley would squeeze into a tightly-fitting Newcastle jersey and down pints of beers with supporters, or the crowd-pleasing managerial appointments of club legends Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer.

Even when the "for sale" sign was put up at St. James' Park in 2008, after the relationship with fans soured, the billionaire owner of Sports Direct let it be known that criticism of his ownership was biting.

"I hope that the fans get what they want and that the next owner is someone who can lavish the amount of money on the club that the fans want," Ashley said in rare public comments. Back then, the tycoon was blunt in a statement: "I am not stupid and have listened to the fans ... you want me out."

Seven years on and the fans are still stuck Ashley, only this time the owner isn't listening to them. Takeover talks collapsed long ago, and so did any sense of ambition at the northeast club, which Ashley bought in 2007 for 134 million pounds (then $270 million).

Now amid fan boycotts of matches, the team is in freefall and could be relegated from the Premier League for the second time in six years unless an alarming decline can be halted. John Carver's control of the dressing room has been gradually eroding since he took temporary charge of the team in January. It reached a nadir on Saturday after an eighth successive loss when he accused one of his own players — Mike Williamson — of getting sent off on purpose in the 3-0 surrender at Leicester.

There are few more serious accusations that could be leveled against a player by his own manager, and Williamson wasn't happy. In a statement that didn't name the manager, Williamson said: "I would never do anything intentionally to hurt the team or its supporters."

Many fans, however, are accusing Ashley of hurting the club, for failing to reinvest the profit from transfer deals into the team and bring in an experienced manager. Fans did successfully force Alan Pardew out of Newcastle in January, with the SackPardew.com website trumpeting how the "goal has been achieved" after "an alarming nosedive in form and results."

But it was Pardew who decided to defect to Crystal Palace and he is having the last laugh as the south London club has raced up the standings away from the relegation zone while Newcastle has plummeted in the opposite direction. Only two points separate Newcastle from the drop zone with nine points to play for.

Carver, who has never had a permanent managerial job in England, has presided over just two wins in 17 games and is unlikely to have a future in the dugout from June. Newcastle disclosed in a statement on Monday that there has been "two days of frank dialogue with John Carver and senior players" and that "all parties accept responsibility for the current situation."

Offering no sense of a plan for the future, Newcastle only stated that the "focus at this time" is staying in the topflight. Which top-level manager is going to risk his reputation by taking on the Newcastle job? Steve McClaren is the favorite but could decide that leaving Derby for Tyneside is just too risky when his managerial standing is only now recovering from a dismal spell with the England national team.

When Ashley issued that rare public statement in 2008, he expressed a desire that the club would be able to "compete at the top table of European football." Now, when it comes to players, Newcastle dines out on scraps with the best cuts sold off to the highest bidders. Just staying in the world's richest league has appeared to be the target, in order to protect the lucrative television revenue stream.

A first major trophy since the 1955 FA Cup looks unlikely in the immediate future, a first league title since 1927 even more fanciful while Ashley remains at the helm. Seven years after Ashley said he would heed the fans' demands and sell up, he is going nowhere. Much like the team itself.

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Bournemouth: From the brink of closing to the Premier League

BOURNEMOUTH, England (AP) — In this seaside town better known for its pier and pensioners than sports, the decades of fighting just to ensure its professional soccer club still exists have paid off. For the first time in its 116-year history, AFC Bournemouth will be playing in England's topflight next season.

Bournemouth faced financial ruin twice in the last 20 years and was on the brink of relegation to the fifth tier six years ago, but is now preparing for the Premier League and a windfall of at least $180 million.

A place in the world's richest league was unthinkable in 1997 when fans were forced to go around this south-coast town collecting cash with buckets to stop the banks closing the club. Eddie Howe, back then a youth team player in awe of the supporters' determination, is the manager who oversaw the victory over Bolton on Monday that effectively clinched a place in the Premier League.

And when supporters spilled onto the field at Goldsands Stadium to join in the promotion party with the players, Howe was quick to take control of the microphone to thank them. "This club, not so long ago, was on the brink of going out of business many times over," Howe said before stressing, as if they needed reminding: "It was the supporters who kept the club going."

Firstly in 1997, when the cash ran out at Bournemouth, which was then in the third tier. "The bank had enough, so it shut the club on the Friday morning with the team playing away at Bristol City the next day," lifelong Bournemouth fan Trevor Watkins told The Associated Press. "It looked like it was going to be the last game."

It was Watkins, a sports lawyer, who helped to spearhead the club's recovery. Fans mobilized, gathering in the Winter Gardens theater along with players, including Howe, to show that bank that the club was worth saving, rather than using the ramshackle stadium's valuable land to build houses on.

After emerging from bankruptcy protection, Bournemouth became Europe's first community club with Watkins as chairman. But with a stadium which still has a limited capacity of 11,000, the only way to make money was from trading players. The club was forced into bankruptcy protection again in 2008 with debts of around 4 million pounds.

This time it was a Manchester City fan, Jeff Mostyn, who saved Bournemouth and became chairman. "A lot of people at the football club wondered why a boy from Manchester had come to Bournemouth to support a team he had never really heard of before to fund the administration," Mostyn recalled in an interview in the directors' box on Monday.

Even after the club's future was secured after being five minutes from being liquidated, Bournemouth had to contend with a 10-point penalty which resulted in relegation. Because the club was forced into administration for a second time, it also started in the fourth tier on minus 17 points. With Howe now in charge of the team, it made up the deficit and avoided dropping out of the professional leagues in 2009.

"If we had gone into the (fifth tier) Conference we would have died," Mostyn said. "Even the greatest optimist in the world was struggling to think we could survive — and we did. That was a miracle. It was a catalyst for where we are today.

"The Premier League was just a fantasy. You had more chance of playing it on one of the (computer) games than participating." Rising from the bottom rung of the Football League has been utterly remarkable.

"We got off to a horrific start (in 2012)," captain Tommy Elphick recalled amid Monday's euphoria. "It wasn't really a good place to be, really hostile, and the manager wasn't getting a load of support.

"But then the gaffer (Howe) came back (after a year at Burnley) and from day one things turned round so dramatically." In part, that has been due to the investment from Russian businessman Maxim Demin, who bought out Eddie Mitchell's stake in the club in 2011 after having a house built in the area by the property tycoon.

The target was only reaching the second-tier Championship, with Mostyn explaining: "All the fans wanted was a club that existed." The rise has made 37-year-old Howe one of the most admired coaches in England. He received the Football League manager of the decade award this month, despite working in the dugout for only six years.

Howe has implemented a stylish, flowing brand of football that was showcased in Monday's 3-0 victory over former Premier League team Bolton, while exuding a calmness at odds with his relative inexperience.

And by living through Bournemouth's decades of pain, Howe ensures the fighting spirit of the fans is instilled in the players. On the eve of the Bolton match, a video was shown to the squad of the incredible journey.

"It took us right back to what it means to people," Elphick said. "We all came out of there pretty emotional." Technically, Bournemouth's promotion will be confirmed only on the final day of the season on Saturday — unless they lose and third-place Middlesbrough wins with an unheard-of 19-goal swing.

Which means, instead of Ipswich, Derby and Brentford coming to town, Bournemouth will be welcoming Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United to its stadium which is seven times smaller than Old Trafford.

"I look back and think where we were six years ago, how difficult it was to run the football club with bailiffs coming in near enough every day, people were not getting paid, people being made redundant, players not getting paid," Howe said. "To now be in this position doesn't seem real."