Fri | Mar 29, 2024

Sports Briefs

Published:Saturday | May 30, 2020 | 12:20 AM
Costa
Costa

Costa could face six-month sentence for tax fraud

MADRID (AP):

A six-month prison sentence will be sought against Atlético Madrid striker Diego Costa for alleged tax fraud, Spain’s state prosecutors’ office said yesterday.

If found guilty, Costa could still avoid jail time because in Spain, sentences for less than two years can be suspended by a judge.

Costa is accused of not paying more than one million euros from money earned by image rights.

The court date has been set for next Thursday.

Spain has cracked down on tax fraud by footballers in recent years, including stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Jose Mourinho. None of them did prison time, but they did pay hefty fines.

LASK Linz punished for team training

LINZ, Austria (AP):

Austrian league leaders LASK Linz have been deducted six points for conducting team training sessions in violation of pandemic restrictions, a decision that could have a big impact on the title race.

The points deduction means LASK slipped from first place to second, three points behind defending champions Salzburg. There are 10 rounds left to play in the Austrian Bundesliga, which is due to resume on June 2.

The Austrian football league said Thursday it also fined the club 75,000 euros for breaking “the basic idea of fair play”.

LASK said it will appeal the verdict.

Thiem, Zverev to headline tennis exhibitions in Berlin

BERLIN (AP):

Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, and Nick Kyrgios will play exhibition tennis matches in Berlin in July.

With professional tennis shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said yesterday one exhibition event will run from July 13 to 15 on grass at Steffi Graf Stadium. The other is on a hard-court in a hangar in the city’s closed Tempelhof airport from July 17 to 19.

Each of the Bett1 Aces tournaments will feature six men and six women, and there will be 200,000 euros in total prize money.

Thiem, Zverev, and Kyrgios will be joined by Jannik Sinner for the men’s events. Two more players will be announced later.

Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, Julia Goerges, and Andrea Petkovic will be in the women’s events. Two places are still to be confirmed.