Keane Is Fined and Suspended
Roy Keane, the controversial midfielder who is captain of Ireland’s national team and Manchester United, was suspended for five English Premier League games and fined nearly a quarter of a million dollars Tuesday -- all because of something he said in a ghost-written autobiography.
After a seven-hour hearing, the disciplinary committee of the English Football Assn. ruled that Keane, 31, had brought the game into disrepute by claiming in the book that he had deliberately injured Alf Inge Haaland of Manchester City in a game in 2001 and then written about it for financial reward.
The committee fined Keane a record $233,100.
Keane, who was thrown off the Irish World Cup team this summer after a highly publicized clash with Coach Mick McCarthy and who has been red-carded nine times in his Manchester United career, has 14 days to appeal the ruling.
In the autobiography -- ghost-written by Irish journalist Eamon Dunphy -- Keane said he’d wanted to get back at Haagland, who earlier had accused him of feigning injury.
Jail for Tofting
Denmark national team midfield hard man Stig “the Lawn Mower” Tofting was sentenced to four months in jail after being found guilty of assault for head-butting the manager of a Copenhagen restaurant where Tofting and his Danish teammates had gathered for a post-World Cup party.
Tofting, 33, who also punched one of the restaurant’s chefs, plays for Bolton Wanderers in England and will not serve the sentence until the appeal process is over.
Mexican Coaches Fired
Two more Mexican league coaches were fired, bringing to seven the number who have lost their jobs three months into the season.
Queretaro dismissed Mario Zanabria and replaced him with Demetrio Madero, and Chiapas slammed the door behind Salvador Capitano, bringing in Jorge Garces in his place.
Each team is in last place in its league group.
Scots Top Canada
Striker Dwayne DeRosario of the San Jose Earthquakes scored on a ninth-minute penalty kick for Canada, but Scotland replied with three goals, two by Steve Crawford and one by Steven Thompson, defeating the Canadians, 3-1, in a friendly match at Edinburgh.
Nakata Leads Japan
Former Brazil World Cup standout Zico, whose first game as Japan’s coach is today against Jamaica at Tokyo, selected Italian-based midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, 25, of Parma, the team’s captain.
