Sparks Fly Following Matches

Important Champions League victories by Real Madrid and Juventus on Wednesday were overshadowed by allegations of racism, cheating and tanking occurring during recent matches in the tournament.

After playing Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw Tuesday, English club Newcastle filed an official complaint with UEFA charging Inter forward Christian Vieri of racist comments directed at Newcastle’s Lomana LuaLua while Inter was preparing a free kick during the final minutes of the game, prompting a shoving match between players on both teams.

UEFA released a statement saying it planned to investigate the allegation, which Vieri denied on Inter’s team Web site.

“Even though we were in a turbulent phase of the match, I didn’t say any words of a racist nature,” Vieri said. “I just tried to distance the player [LuaLua], who had even been booked in that moment, by telling him to move back.

“Besides, this row was sparked at the end of the match. LuaLua didn’t say anything on the pitch and didn’t give any sign of reaction.”

Inter’s Italian rival AS Roma remained incensed over the ejection of Francesco Totti during Roma’s 1-1 tie with Arsenal on Tuesday, claiming Arsenal defender Martin Keown cheated by exaggerating the extent of Totti’s foul. Roma Manager Fabio Capello described Keown as a “fantastic actor.”

Totti was sent off for throwing an elbow at Keown’s head, though Totti insisted he never made contact with Keown and the Arsenal player feigned injury by falling to the ground.

Keown responded by telling the Evening Standard, “If Mr. Capello knows anything about Martin Keown, he would know he is not a cheat. I saw [Totti’s arm] coming. I tried to avoid it and he caught me in the eye. That is why I went down.”

Bayern Leverkusen, without a point after five matches in Group A, drew the wrath of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who accused Leverkusen of laying down during its 2-0 loss to Barcelona on Tuesday.

Before the match, Leverkusen Coach Thomas Horster acknowledged his priority was his team’s domestic season and its bid to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga. Horster fielded mostly his second string against Barcelona.

“It is not good for football,” Blatter told Agence France-Presse. “The aim is to win. If someone doesn’t want to win, they should pull out and not take part. It’s not enough to defend yourself by saying you’re playing to avoid relegation from your domestic league.”

Leverkusen General Manager Reiner Calmund disputed Blatter’s comments, saying his team “had nothing to be ashamed of. For the first 30 minutes, I saw what I wanted to see -- some heart and fighting spirit. Even after the second goal, the team showed character.”

And on the Field ...

Meanwhile, games were played in the Champions League on Wednesday. Defending champion Real Madrid registered a 3-1 home victory over AC Milan, and Juventus scored in stoppage time to defeat Deportivo La Coruna, 3-2, in Group D.

Milan has already clinched a quarterfinal berth with 13 points in Group C. The victory left Real with eight points, one more than Borussia Dortmund, a 3-0 winner over last-place Lokomotiv Moscow.

Juventus moved three points clear of Deportivo in the race for second place in Group D. Manchester United leads the group with 13 points after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Basel, followed by Juventus with seven points and Deportivo and Basel with four each.

U.S.-Nigeria Set

The U.S. women’s national team will play Nigeria on April 26 in RFK Stadium as part of doubleheader that finishes with a WUSA match between the Washington Freedom and the Atlanta Beat.