Portuguese Referee Implicated

Portugal’s top referee was among 16 people implicated as details were revealed Friday about a corruption investigation that has stunned the nation only seven weeks before it stages the European Championship.

Jose Antonio Pinto de Sousa, chairman of the Portuguese soccer federation’s refereeing council, which appoints match officials, was named as a suspect in 17 cases of passive corruption, two cases of falsification of documents and two cases of abuse of power.

Court officials in Gondomar, north of Lisbon, outlined the case against Pinto de Sousa, who was ordered by the court to not leave his area of residence and to report regularly to police while the investigation continues.

Referees, club officials and political figures were among those detained for questioning after a series of dawn raids Tuesday.

Valentim Loureiro, president of the Portuguese league, was taken into custody and was due to be questioned by magistrates Friday.

Portugal Doping

Portugal national team defender Rui Jorge of Sporting Lisbon has tested positive for an anti-allergy medicine that the club’s doctor, Jose Gomes Pereira, failed to tell authorities about in time.

The drug is legal as long as the country’s National Anti-Doping Council is informed that it is being taken.

Because Pereira failed to do so, Jorge, 31, faces another drug test to confirm the first result and could be suspended for Euro 2004.

Desailly Banned

Marcel Desailly, a France ’98 World Cup winner and captain of Chelsea, was banned for three games for elbowing AS Monaco striker Fernando Morientes in the face during Tuesday’s European Champions League semifinal in Monaco.

The punishment was handed down by UEFA on Friday on the basis of video evidence because the incident was not seen by the match referee. It means Desailly, 35, will sit out the second leg of the semifinal in England and, if Chelsea advances, the May 26 final in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Greeks Sentenced

Seven Greek hooligans and a bus driver were jailed on sentences ranging from six years and three months to nine years and six months after they kidnapped and beat a fan from a rival team, stripped him naked and abandoned him at the side of a highway 125 miles from Athens, where the crime occurred in 1999.

The eight were fans of Olympiakos of Piraeus; the victim was a supporter of Panathinaikos of Athens.

Quick Passes

South Korea, still seeking a coach after the resignation this week of Humberto Coelho, announced that it would play Turkey in Seoul on June 2 and again in Taegu on June 5. Turkey defeated South Korea, 3-2, in the third-place match at the 2002 World Cup.... Italy regained a seat on UEFA’s executive committee after a four-year absence when Franco Carraro, 64, president of the Italian soccer federation and former mayor or Rome, was elected to the 14-member committee.... Former Brazilian World Cup star Zico told Japan’s Nikkan Sports daily that he probably would step down as Japan’s coach after the 2006 World Cup in Germany and said that coaching Brazil was “one job I definitely won’t do.” ... Anderlecht defender Anthony Vanden Borre, at 16 years 7 months, became the youngest player in almost a century to be called up by Belgium when he was chosen to the team to play Turkey on Wednesday.... Columbus Crew defender Frankie Hejduk was fined $500 by MLS, on top of the $250 fine and one-game suspension he already had received for striking Kansas City Wizard defender Alex Zotinka in the face.... Bayern Munich will be without defender Samuel Kuffour for its “derby” game against 1860 Munich on Sunday after the Ghanaian international was found to have chickenpox.

-- Compiled by Grahame L. Jones